Pierre Merle is professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Brest (Finistère).
This specialist in issues of social diversity in schools believes that there is a “problematic opacity” in the functioning of Catholic education.
He points out in particular the lack of transparency relating to the funding of establishments.
Can we speak of “systemic dysfunctional practices” of private Catholic education?
PIERRE MERLE.
What is certain is that there are many blind spots in Catholic teaching, an opacity in its functioning which is problematic.
We talk, for example, little about the fact that there are many contract workers who, by definition, can be fired overnight.
This still represents one in five teachers in the private sector who find themselves in a vulnerable situation.
I have already been told of sometimes surprising situations, such as the case of these women who are told: "You wear a skirt, no more pants, otherwise you lose your job."
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Another blind spot in Catholic education is the question of its financing.
Here again, we don't know anything, it's totally opaque.
What the establishments do with the 8 billion euros granted to them, we do not know.
There is a lot of money that is distributed at the top and for which there are no controls.
This is particularly the case for Île-de-France where Valérie Pécresse
(Libres! president of the regional council)
has considerably increased aid to private high schools, in addition to the day school package.
To explain the unease that exists in certain high schools, teachers also question the way in which teachers are recruited...
Here too, it is the financial aspect that takes precedence.
And so principals become more managers than teachers.
Over the last five years, there has been a phenomenon of gentrification of private high schools which has accelerated.
Concerning students, there is a very clear drop in the share of establishments which have popular recruitment.
The idea is to always have more resources.
So we need to review the operation of these establishments?
Yes, the private sector should have the same operating rules as the public sector.
There is a rather fantasized presentation of the private high school which would be what works best in France.
With identical social recruitment, however, it is not more effective.
But appearances trump reality.
In the end, we observe a lot of abuses, both in financing and in personnel management and even respect for secularism.
There is a form of impunity from the private sector who knows they are supported by the government in place.