Secondary school teachers on strike

TEACHERS are striking in protest at a new scheme for evaluating their work that they say is not practical and is just a money saving exercise.

All but one of the teaching unions are involved.

Demonstrations are planned around the country, including one in Paris at Place Denfert-Rochereau. The strikers there will be marching to Sèvres-Babylone, near the Education Ministry.

The action mainly affects secondary school staff, however 8.5% of teachers are also expected to be on strike in primary schools.

The scheme that is contested involves headteachers carrying out an evaluation interview with secondary teachers every three years, to be used to decide on their salary increases. It is seen as a “declaration of war” by the leading secondary education union, Snes-FSU.

Formerly evaluations were done jointly by visiting inspectors and headteachers: inspectors checked teachers’ classroom skills and the headteachers checked administrative matters.

The unions say heads are not best suited to assess teaching and discipline skills and fear the measure may slow down increases in salaries.