Strike talks as schools start

UNIONS are planning strike action this month as France’s 12.3m pupils and 855,000 teachers headed back to school today.

They say key educational reforms due to start this year have not been adequately prepared and that changes due for next year have been poorly thought-out.

This year’s key reforms are in maternelle and the introduction of civic lessons.

Maternelle takes on a teaching ethos of its own, and will no longer be seen as a simple step towards élémentaire.

Instead of being taught to count to high numbers, teachers will check that pupils understand what is meant by numbers.

The curriculum will be taught in formats that use language, social skills and games, however teaching groups say that teachers have not received enough training to implement the new measures.

In élémentaire, pupils will receive one hour of morale laïque lessons a week, dropping to two hours a month by secondaire.

These civic lessons will promote the values of the French Republic, including lessons on the value of media and freedom of speech following the attacks in Paris in January.

Unions had demanded a delay in implementing the programme, which they say is not ready.

The curriculum was only revealed in June and textbooks will not be ready until September 2016.

No dates have been set yet, but unions are expected to organise a strike in September and further action days in October.

Unions and parent-teachers groups are also fighting reforms that are due to come into force on September 2016, such as multi-discipline teachers who will teach more theme-based courses in collège.

They are also opposed to the disappearance of Latin and bilingual classes.
Photo: Flickr/vasse nicolas,antoine