“We will not sort our students!” Teachers’ unions have called for a strike and demonstration on Tuesday April 2 to demand the abandonment of the “shock of knowledge” measures, in particular the middle school level groups, but also for salaries and resources for teaching. ‘public school. This call for a “massive strike” concerns nursery and primary schools as well as middle and high schools.
The Snes-FSU, the first secondary union, with the SNEP-FSU (physical and sports education), SUD Education, the CGT éduc’action and the FNEC-FP FO wish to “amplify the mobilization”, mainly against the planned level groups from the start of the school year who, according to them, organize the “sorting of students”, according to a joint press release from the inter-union.
These teaching unions say they “demand the abandonment of the ‘shock of knowledge'”, the set of measures announced by the government aimed at raising the level of students, as well as “a salary increase without compensation and resources for the school public.
“For months, staff have been mobilizing against level groups. Strikes on February 1 and 6, local actions, vote against ‘the shock of knowledge’ in the CSE (Higher Education Council), public meetings with parents “students, dead college operation… Our organizations will support all renewals where possible”, assure the unions. “April 2 will mark a new step in asking the government to review its copy,” affirms the FCPE for its part in a press release.
Demonstrations expected throughout France
For its part, the government assures that “there is no sorting”. “I refuse the social sorting of students,” said March 26 on France Inter the Minister of National Education Nicole Belloubet on the level groups. “We want to improve the results of our students in French and maths, which are the two fundamental learning skills,” said the minister.
The decree on the establishment of “groups” in mathematics and French in middle school was published on March 17 in the Official Journal, with a formulation which does not use the terms “level groups”, but “constituted” groups. according to the needs of the students. These groups will come into force from the start of the 2024 school year for sixth and fifth grade classes and from the start of the 2025 school year for fourth and third grade classes. “The government is feverish and comes to force itself, publishing texts, in defiance of the opinion of the profession,” denounced the unions, judging this publication “unacceptable and irresponsible”.
Actions in Paris and several cities in France are planned for Tuesday. The Snes-FSU lists nearly 90 demonstrations in all the countries. Several mobilizations took place in February and March. In Loire-Atlantique, since March 19, a day of national strike in the civil service, parents and teachers have continued to mobilize against this “shock of knowledge” reform.