Could the February 1 strike take another turn? Since Friday, the words of the new Minister of National Education have not gone through. Asked about her decision to no longer send her children to public schools but rather to the private school Stanislas in Paris, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra replied that she had taken this decision "in view of the packages of hours that were not seriously replaced".
This statement angered the teaching world, whose unions denounced his "hallucinating" remarks, and perhaps revived the strike movement planned for 1 February. "The new Minister of National Education denigrated public schools as soon as she took office in order to advertise hyper-selective private education. On strike on February 1st for the public education service! Sud Éducation writes on X (formerly Twitter).
Seeing in the minister's remarks a "first salvo against public schools", the SNUEP-FSU also calls for "all of us to go on strike on February 1st, to demand respect, resources, a dignified salary and the abolition of the Grandjean reform!"
🏅First day, first gold medal: the one for provocation!
Awarded to Amélie Oudéa-Castera, Minister of the Olympic Games... and private education.
➡️https://t.co/vP4dwgGbvQ #Grève1erFévrier #Mépris2024 pic.twitter.com/O7jdIDpgLC
— SNES-FSU (@SNESFSU) January 13, 2024
LFI MP Raquel Garrido also made the link with the February 1 strike. "Amélie Oudéa-Castéra is an activist for private schools, I strongly defend public schools: let's support the strike of national education staff on February 1st!" she wrote on X.
The "unitary strike" for 1 February had been set for the beginning of January, to demand an increase in wages and a halt to job cuts. Since Friday, the unions have been pointing the finger more at the non-replacement of teachers in public schools, but also at the problems of social diversity between the private and public sectors.
Minister 'regrets' comments
The minister said on Saturday night that she "regretted" that she had "been able to hurt some public school teachers", in a statement sent to AFP on Saturday. She explained that she had simply answered a question "straightforwardly", "with sincerity and transparency". "I know what I owe to the public school and its teachers. I will always be by their side, as I will be by the side of the entire educational community," she adds.
Read alsoOudéa-Castéra's remarks: behind the scenes of a first hiccup
However, she points out that the number of hours not replaced (15 million) represents a "loss of opportunities" for students. "We've turned this problem into a fight. Already going from 5% to 15% of absences replaced. By changing the organization of training so that it is no longer done on the same time in front of students," she continues.
In the coming days, she is due to meet with the actors of the National Education, in particular the trade unions.