In France, more than 24,000 teachers are available. A status that corresponds to unpaid leave. Some of them did not choose it and find themselves today without a school, without a class and without students to teach. Caroline, a school teacher, is in this situation. She told us her story and her distress.
Since the start of the school year in September, some schools are still short of teachers, despite the recruitment of palmost 4,000 contract workers by the Ministry of Education. Yet, many trained and available teacherssome against their will, are waiting for only one thing: to be able to teach students again. They no longer teach because they did not obtain their transfer, for lack of points. Caroline*, is one of those “forgotten” teachers as they define themselves. Since 2011, she has been a school teacher, attached to an Ile-de-France academy, but this year she was unable to return to school. “I am currently on leave of absence to be able to follow my daughter and my spouse who are settled in Lyon. I was not able to benefit from the famous points to apply for a transfer because I taught several years abroad. in French schools and when you are not in your academy of attachment you do not obtain points. I nevertheless served France and the public service “she explains disarmed.
A complex system that overcomes
In France, the system for assigning transfers to teaching staff is quite complex. Following one’s spouse is nevertheless a priority reason for transfer, as indicated ministry website, but without having the required number of points the request is compromised. Without a validated transfer, Caroline cannot claim vacancies either. As a teacher on leave, all the doors of public and private schools under contract (i.e. 98% of schools in the territory) are closed to her., while there are needs, even in Lyon. She cannot make substitutions either. Faced with this situation, which is not an isolated case, the Ministry of National Education has no solution for the time being.
Contacted the Ministry of Education explained to us that:“This results from a case law of the Council of State (CE 23.02.1966 and CE 13.11.1981) which prohibits the recruitment of a civil servant on a contract position in his own administration. The Ministry has established mobility rules that are very attached to the application of the scale, a vector of equal treatment. By modifying the regulations, we would introduce a significant distortion between those who wait to acquire the scale points and those who would benefit from recruitment.
“I am a teacher and I live in 28m2 with my family”
The situation of Caroline and her family is critical today. Caroline receives no salary and receives no state aid. “This situation puts my family and I in great difficulty, even financially. I can’t claim anything, I don’t have the right to RSA, nor to unemployment. I don’t have the right to APEC training either. My spouse does not have a fabulous salary, he earns 1,700 euros per month. We have a 2 year old little girl and we live in grotesque conditions”, she admits with great emotion.
“It’s crazy! I’ve been a teacher for 11 years and I find myself living in 28 square meters, not being able to apply for social housing because supposedly we earn too much.”
On the psychological level too, the impact is great. “I feel helpless and completely useless. I feel like everything I’ve done before is for naught. That all the years I’ve done have no value“, laments the young woman. For Caroline, the situation is even totally absurd, especially when she sees the recruitment of contract workers for vacancies. “I would like to be able to do my job, instead of teachers being recruited like that, randomly before the start of the school year. I find it unfair and abnormal that we teachers on availability are not given priority and that we are not called upon.“
A problem that is not new
This issue linked to transfers affects more teachers than one might think. In 2021, just over 24,000 teachers were on availability. Some have chosen this full status, others have not. The teachers’ unions have been trying for years to alert the authorities to this problem. “This teacher is far from the only one. Many teachers do not obtain their transfer in relation to the calibration of the needs which are made in the first or second degree. These are calibrations carried out according to the needs by territory. We are precisely asking for longer-term visibility on these calibrations and these needs. However, they are made each time on an annual basis and they are never communicated”, detailed Elisabeth Allain-Moreno, national secretary in charge of the “Career and quality of life at work” sector within the Unsa union.
In her situation, Caroline still keeps hope, even if no recourse is allowed to her. She intends to submit her transfer file at the beginning of next year to try to change her situation. For her part, Elisabeth Allain-Moreno of the Unsa union announced that as part of the consultation on the attractiveness and upgrading of the teaching profession, which took place with Minister Pap Ndiaye and the unions last October, that the subject of geographical mobility was one of the key levers that had been defended. Developments could take place, but when? Caroline and the other “forgotten” teachers are on standby.
*Name has been changed.