French schools are bracing for potential cuts as local elections approach, with teachers’ unions and associations voicing concerns over planned reductions in staffing, and resources. The impending changes, set to take effect with the school year, are prompting mobilization from educators and parents alike.
Nationally, over 3,200 positions could be eliminated across the French education system – 1,891 in primary schools and 1,365 in secondary schools. The Aveyron department is not expected to be spared, with eleven primary school positions and twelve secondary school positions slated for reduction. Unions are decrying this as a “genuine hemorrhage.”
The situation builds on previous cuts; Aveyron already lost four positions last year, prompting some parent and teacher mobilization. However, Julie Bernat, a departmental delegate for the FSU union, predicts a broader response this time around, with “groaning movements” expected throughout the department.
At the heart of the dispute is a decrease in the “dotation horaire globale” (DGH), the allocation of teaching hours to each school. Unions argue that this decline is detrimental to working conditions and ultimately impacts student learning. Gauthier Couffin, a member of Solidaires, emphasizes that attributing cuts solely to demographic decline is insufficient justification.
The unions are advocating for a shift in priorities, arguing that declining student numbers present an opportunity to reduce class sizes and improve the quality of education. They urge the Ministry to leverage the demographic shift to alleviate pressure on schools and enhance learning environments.
Already, schools are beginning to organize against the proposed cuts. Teachers and parents at the Francis-Carco middle school in Villefranche-de-Rouergue recently boycotted a board of administration meeting in protest of the potential loss of two positions and two classes. Similarly, the Fabre middle school in Rodez could lose four full-time equivalent positions (ETP). A comprehensive list of affected schools is expected to be released after the municipal elections in March.
Concerns extend to the secondary level as well. The Snes-FSU union at the Monteil high school in Rodez reports a significant reduction in allocated hours – a cut of approximately one hundred hours compared to the academic year, despite relatively stable student enrollment. This represents, according to the union, an “unprecedented” decrease. The potential loss of long-serving staff members is also raising concerns about job security and the overall stability of the teaching workforce.
Gauthier Couffin highlights the impact on teacher recruitment and retention, noting that the need to seek positions far from previous schools – a common challenge in the geographically dispersed Aveyron department – diminishes the attractiveness of the profession.
Alongside the protests, unions and associations have distributed a policy paper to candidates in the municipal elections, advocating for the defense of the “secular public school.” Sébastien Le Gall, a representative of Unsa in Aveyron, explains that the paper aims to address misconceptions about the funding of private schools and to underscore the importance of directing public funds to the public education system.
The paper points to the significant public funding allocated to private schools under contract, estimating that it amounts to at least €12 billion annually – a figure that may be underestimated due to the difficulty in tracking indirect funding. The authors argue that public funds should prioritize the public school system and that the financial support for private, ideologically and socially divisive schools should be limited, with the possibility of ultimately eliminating such funding.
The debate over school funding comes amid broader concerns about the direction of French education policy and the potential impact of budget cuts on the quality and accessibility of public education. The outcome of the municipal elections and the subsequent decisions regarding school staffing and resources will be closely watched by educators, parents, and students across the country.
