Faced with the discontent of teachers and the increasing absences among the teaching staff, Jean-Michel Blanquer announced on January 13 the recruitment of 3,300 contract workers and the use of additional lists.
This January 13, after meeting the unions at the end of a great day of mobilization of teachers against the measures deemed insufficient at school, Jean Michel Blanquer announced the recruitment of “3,300 more contract employees” to compensate for teacher absences. The Minister of National Education also announced the use of additional lists, that is to say to candidates who have obtained the competition but who have not been recruited. “We will also be recruiting what are called educational assistants [AED] and educational support staff for school principals“, added Jean-Michel Blanquer.
What measures to replace absent teachers?
In a press release dated January 3, the Ministry of National Education issued new recommendations for education personnel. The ministry recalls that teachers are subject to the same tests as other adults in schools and educational establishments, with consecutive tests, without the need to isolate themselves for vaccinated contact cases whose tests are negative. Furthermore, and following the report of the Court of Auditors, the government has decided to postpone or suspend “all institutional requests likely to lead to the absence of professors (training, etc.)”. The government also intends expand the recruitment capacity of contract and temporary workers, and this in all 1st and 2nd degree academies. Since January 3, retirees from the National Education system have been recalled with adapted remuneration conditions. “The academies are diversifying their recruitment methods and are mobilized to initiate recruitment on the basis of reports of absences listed, in order to respond quickly“, specifies the ministry. With regard to school principals and heads of schools, their tasks are lightened so as to allow them to focus more on the management of the health crisis as well as on educational continuity for students who would follow the courses remotely.
Absence of teachers: the report of the Court of Auditors
On December 2, the Court of Auditors published a report entitled “The management of teacher absences”. She reveals that two-thirds of teacher absences in middle school and high school are linked to service obligations. This report follows the visit of around forty schools by financial magistrates over the year 2018-2019, i.e. before the health crisis. She then calls for more systematic replacements between colleagues during these absences to offer better educational continuity to the students. Thereby, two times out of three, if the teacher is absent, it is not because he is sick, but because he is in training, that he must attend a pedagogical meeting, be a member of an examination board, or because his establishment is closed to host baccalaureate or patent examinations. Although physically absent, the teacher therefore works all the same. We then speak of“institutional absences” because linked to the obligations of National Education.
Colleges and high schools: 2.5 million hours lost and nearly 4 billion euros
According to the findings of the Court of Auditors, approximately 10% of the hours of lessons delivered in college and high school were lost during the 2018-2019 school year. Absences considered to be of short duration (less than 15 days) which nevertheless represent 2.5 million hours. This equates to a 24% increase over the previous year. On the budget side, these absences represent no less than 4 billion euros.
Replacements: how to make up for the absence of teachers?
Faced with this observation and even though the absences of pupils and teachers have multiplied over the past two years due to the health crisis, the Court of Auditors is asking the Ministry of National Education to to propose “a real strategy” for “limit” and compensate for short-term absences“. The suggestion of the magistrates? Rather than recruiting replacement teachers, allowing headteachers to encourage more replacements between colleagues within the same college or high school by offering them overtime. And for good reason, as explained by the Court of Auditors “the head of the establishment is still as lacking in the means to find replacements apart from the volunteers”. This could therefore induce an obligation for the teacher to accept these replacements if necessary. Similarly, she points out that the organization of exams such as educational meetings could be planned so as not to take place systematically during class time. Finally, in case of absence, teachers could be invited to record their lesson on video for distribution to students.