Historian Pap Ndiaye, a specialist in racial discrimination in France and the United States, was appointed Minister of National Education on Friday. An appointment criticized quickly. “A symbol of rupture that goes rather in the right direction”, analyzed for her part Sophie Vénétitay, secretary general of the Snes-FSU and professor of economic and social sciences, guest of franceinfo on Saturday May 21. However, she assures us to remain cautious, “we will judge by deeds”she says.
franceinfo: For the moment we talk a lot about the symbol of this appointment but that is not the main question for you?
Sophie Venetitay: Yes quite. There is the symbol, a symbol of rupture which goes rather in the right direction. But we do not govern National Education with symbols, we govern it by actions. From this point of view, Pap Ndiaye will have to show us very quickly what decisions he is going to make. We are also waiting to see if he will have the political clout to win a number of arbitrations. We know that he is someone who does not come from the world of National Education, who is not necessarily familiar with the government, so he will have to show us that he is capable of taking very important trade-offs, particularly in salary matters.
This break with the policy of Jean-Michel Blanquer, which you have criticized so much, should take place in what form?
There are two points which, it seems to me, are quite urgent. Of course, the question of the method. We know that the Blanquer method has done a lot of harm. Pap Ndiaye is expected to mark a break with this method, which is much more attentive and in consultation, that he is not as contemptuous as his predecessor was. And then, basically, the urgency is the salary issue. We are still a few months from the start of the school year and we see that France is no longer able to recruit teachers and we must very quickly open this file, upgrade the teachers to lift this crisis of attractiveness of our professions.
You are not waiting for him to reconsider the reforms that Jean-Michel Blanquer has put in place? The new bac, the reform of the high school, the changes in primary schools too.
We expect him to be able to reverse certain reforms. I am thinking in particular of the reform of the baccalaureate and high school. There we have just passed the specialty tests in high schools. We see how this disrupts schools. How much it also confuses students, families and teachers. A number of things really need to be straightened out. This is where a crucial question for Pap Ndiaye will arise. He was appointed by the government of Elisabeth Borne and with Emmanuel Macron to the presidency of the Republic. How will he apply Emmanuel Macron’s program? We know that Emmanuel Macron’s program also raises a number of questions in terms of education. So there, he will still have to remove a lot of blur.
Knowing all the same that the legislative elections take place in three weeks. This could all be very temporary.
Yes, we will see what the legislative elections will give. There are three weeks, three weeks during which he will be Minister of National Education. We will see what will happen, but in three weeks, there are already decisions to be made, signals to be given. We hope to meet the minister next week and have initial discussions on the salary file in particular next week. We will judge by actions. Symbols are fine. Symbols are needed. There was also a need for appeasement in the National Education, but that is not enough and we will judge on actions.