The day after the announcement of the new government, the decision to entrust responsibility for the Ministry of Education and Sports to a single minister, Amélie Oudéa-Castera, concerns teachers.
National Education is now at the heart of a “super-ministry” which also brings together the Youth, Sports and Olympic Games portfolios. And to move forward on all these subjects, a person was appointed by decision of the Prime Minister and the President of the Republic: Amélie Oudéa-Castera. The Minister of Sports therefore sees herself reappointed and promoted.
This grouping of National Education and Sports is not so surprising since this possibility was already mentioned before the reshuffle was made official. However, it concerns the teaching staff. The general secretary of the Snes-FSU teachers’ union, Sophie Vénétitay, even denounced the arrival of a “part-time minister” at the France Info microphone on Thursday January 11 just after the government’s announcement.
The bringing together of these two ministries is, according to the union leader, “quite disrespectful for National Education”. “I am very angry to see how National Education is being treated” added Sophie Vénétitay before recalling the “unprecedented crisis” in which the education sector finds itself where “we have difficulty recruiting teachers, teachers resign. “The main information this evening is ultimately that the center of gravity of National Education will move from rue de Grenelle to Matignon, and that Gabriel Attal will remain Minister of Education,” analyzed the trade unionist in remarks relayed by Le Monde.
Education professionals fear seeing sector issues pushed to the background, due to lack of time for a minister who will now have to manage two substantial portfolios, particularly with the organization of the 2024 Olympic Games. Guest of France 2 this Friday the 12th January, Sophie Vénétitay recalled the urgency of certain national education issues, particularly the attractiveness of the teaching profession. She also highlighted the significant lack of teachers which sometimes deprives certain students of quality education. She expects from the new minister “prospects on salary increases” and measures on “reducing class numbers”.
The spokesperson for the SNUIpp-FSU teaching union, Guislaine David, deplored the “contempt for teachers” following the announcement of the new ministry, on X. On the set of BFMTV, Thursday evening, she highlighted an error in terms of the calendar, explaining that the new minister will not be able to dwell on the pressing subjects of education with the arrival of the Olympic Games this summer. She also insisted on the need to have “a minister present on school issues.” As Libération indicates, Guislaine David also deplored the absence of “specific knowledge on national education” and adds “We must wait for the appointment of his cabinet, it is essential because we need competent people, otherwise we’re not going to get through this.”