“Black Thursday” in National Education: why teachers are called to strike on February 1 ?

Les perturbations attendues de cette grève pourraient impacter les écoles, les collèges et lycées à travers toute la France. ILLUSTRATION UNSPLASH

A call for a strike on Thursday, February 1 is launched by the various teaching unions. In addition to an increase in their salaries and an increase in recruitment, National Education staff are targeting their Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, whose resignation some unions are demanding.

The main teaching unions (FSU, CGT, FO, SUD education, UNSA Education, SGEN CFDT, and the UNEF) are calling for a day of strike and demonstration this Thursday, February 1 .

They are demanding in particular an improvement in their working conditions, salary increases – of the order of 300 euros net per month and without compensation -, better status for those accompanying students in situation disability, and a stop to job cuts.

Oudéa-Castéra in the sights of teachers

This call for a strike is also a reaction to the remarks of the Minister of National Education, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, mired in controversies since her appointment to the government by Gabriel Attal and some of which unions demand resignation.

"The new Minister of National Education denigrates public schools as soon as she takes office to advertise education hyperselective private. On strike on February 1 for the public education service!" launched the Sud education union in mid-January.

"National Education deserves better than a simple attachment to the Ministry of Sports" –, on its website, the union SNES-FSU adds: "The first words of the new Minister of National Education […] were directly aimed at the school public and its staff".

The "clash of knowledge" criticized

The teaching unions also intend to protest against the reforms announced previously, including the famous "clash of knowledge" imagined by Gabriel Attal when he was still Minister of National Education. 

This system, "unrealizable" for certain unions due to lack of resources, provides in particular for the establishment of level groups in mathematics and French in middle school or new programs in elementary from the next school year. It constitutes a "fundamental attack" against the’ school and the teaching profession, according to them, which carries measures hindering "pedagogical freedom".

The disruptions expected from this strike could impact schools, colleges and high schools across France. A movement which could be expected to last since unions are already considering follow-ups to this day in order to obtain satisfaction of their demands.