The figures put forward by the minister include not only the benefits of a specific increase in National Education, but also those of the increase in the index point, which benefited all civil servants in July.
The salary for the month of September has fallen. For public sector teachers, this is an opportunity to check whether the government’s promises to increase their remuneration have been kept. On the eve of the start of the school year, the Minister of National Education assured, on France Inter, that “in September 2023, every teacher [gagnerait] 125 euros net more per month, compared to the start of the 2022 school year, and up to 250 euros (…) depending on the degree of seniority”.
Gabriel Attal did not fail to recall this “unprecedented revaluation”, Thursday September 28, on TF1. But did all teachers really receive 125 to 250 euros net more in September?
The increase in teachers’ salaries, promised by Emmanuel Macron in 2022, has two components. The first corresponds to an increase in the so-called “base” part of the remuneration, which concerns all teachers without conditions. It includes the doubling of two bonuses: the student monitoring and support allowance (Isae), for primary school teachers, and the student monitoring and guidance allowance (Isoe), in secondary education. . The attractiveness bonus is also increased for teachers in the first fifteen years of their career, by a decreasing amount depending on the level of seniority.
The government considers as a second aspect of upgrading the “pact” offered to teachers since the start of the school year: those who accept it undertake additional missions in exchange for a bonus. But this “pact” is optional. For now, alone “one in four teachers signed”noted Gabriel Attal on September 28.
“A few holes in the racket”
“The promises on September salaries are effective”assures franceinfo Pascal Vivier, general secretary of Snetaa-FO, a vocational education union. “ I can confirm that it happened well for everyone.” After carrying out a survey of 231 teachers, the union representative noted that the vast majority had been increased by the expected amounts. “Overall, it is applied as advertised, but there are a few holes in the racket”observes Jérôme Fournier, national secretary of the SE-Unsa union. “I got some feedback from colleagues”, testifies Sophie Vénétitay, general secretary of Snes-FSU, another union. ” Many came to me and said: ‘I don’t understand. I don’t have exactly what I was told.'”
Sometimes, surprises are linked to factors that do not depend on National Education. “I should have received 129 euros net more per month. But this month, I got 40 euros”, testifies Caroline*, librarian professor in a general high school at the Lille academy. By checking her pay slip, she notices that her librarian professor allowance has increased from 83.5 to 212.5 euros. But this gain of 129 euros was largely eaten up by his change in tax situation: “I had an increase in my withholding tax rateexplains Caroline. And I no longer have one of my children to take care of.”
Anaïs*, a trainee teacher in a professional establishment at the Normandy academy, was also disappointed. “The verdict came in for my pay in September: 1,919 euros. Where are the 2,000 euros minimum for all teachers?”, she asks herself. Last year, Emmanuel Macron had certainly promised that no teacher would start their career with less than 2,000 euros net monthly at the start of the 2023 school year. But this commitment ultimately only concerns tenured teachers.
A majority of teachers increased by 95 euros
As early as April, a document from the Ministry of National Education revealed by several media, including franceinfo, predicted that the net remuneration of tenured public teachers would increase on average by 5.5% in September 2023 compared to a year earlier. The 10% increase promised by Emmanuel Macron during his campaign is only achieved by adding the gains linked to the “pact”, optional and conditional on additional tasks. This estimate also hides significant disparities on a case-by-case basis.
According to this ministerial document, teachers benefiting from the largest “base” salary increase, i.e. a gain of 222 euros net monthly (+11.2% compared to September 2022), are those who fall into the “class” grade. normal” and whose seniority is between 6 and 8 and a half years. This only concerns 3.9% of the total workforce. In fact, a minority (14.5%) must benefit from more than 200 euros net since September, while a large majority (67.4%) receives an increase of 95 euros net monthly.
How can we explain, then, that the Minister of National Education arrives at a minimum of 125 euros net monthly salary increase for teachers? “Gabriel Attal embraces the increase in the index point” on which the remuneration scale of the entire public service is indexed, explains Sophie Vénétitay, the general secretary of Snes-FSU. “The measures to increase ‘base’ remuneration announced in the spring by National Education, plus the increase in the index point, increases the minimum increase from 95 to 125 euros”she analyzes. A method of calculation confirmed by the ministry with 20 minutes And Release .
The Minister of the Civil Service, Stanislas Guérini, announced in June a 1.5% increase in the value of the index point for public employees. Subsequent to the document which detailed the teachers’ increases, it was therefore not taken into account. “It is not specific to National Education. It is all civil servants. So it is a bit exaggerated to present it as a measure of upgrading in National Education”, estimates Jérôme Fournier, national secretary of SE-Unsa. The union leader suspects the ministry of choosing a calculation method that benefits its communication.
An exceptional bonus, but not so new
To further embellish the picture of the return to school for teachers, Gabriel Attal also spoke on TF1 of a “exceptional purchasing power bonus” . It will be paid in October to 500,000 teachers, who will receive an average of 380 euros, and 230,000 other agents of the Ministry of National Education, whose bonus will amount to an average of 500 euros.
But, once again, this measure had already been announced in June by Stanislas Guérini, and does not only concern teachers. This bonus will be paid in one go, in the fall, to civil servants earning less than 3,250 euros per month, and its amount will range from 300 to 800 euros gross. The decree which allows its creation was published at the end of July, two months before the interview with Gabriel Attal.
“As far as teachers are concerned, it doesn’t work at all. They know very well what they have on their pay slip”, reacts Guislaine David, co-general secretary of SNUipp-FSU, a primary union. ” We are not talking about 20 years of salary downgrading and loss of purchasing power. These measures will not catch up with the average European salary.”, deplores the union spokesperson. The mid-career salary of a French teacher remains 15% below the average for OECD countries, according to the organization’s Education at a Glance 2023 report.
* The first name has been changed at the request of the person concerned.