Can Nicole Belloubet restore calm to National Education, after recent weeks under the fire of controversy?
Can the former Minister of Justice, who came from the socialist ranks, keep the road map of the “clash of knowledge”, marked on the right, that the executive has drawn up?
“
I have a lot of friendship for Pap Ndiaye.
I am not Pap Ndiaye
,” replied Nicole Belloubet, when questioned, on the sidelines of a trip about harassment in a college in Reims, about the comparison with the former Minister of Education made by certain right-wing political figures.
“
The rules, respect for the rules and authority
”, the new minister says she “
believed in them for a long time
”.
Enough to brush aside the criticisms expressed, during his appointment, on his “pedagogical” views concerning education?
A text written in 2016, to support the reform of the Najat Vallaud-Belkacem college, was unearthed from the archives at the end of last week.
In particular, she described
“the restoration of authority or the wearing of a blouse” as “farboles”.
“Faribole, it’s a very pretty word,”
joked the Minister, when asked about her past writings.
The people who caught this word certainly did not read the entire article
,” she says.
A trip dedicated to the fight against harassment
What about the uniform experiment, planned in around a hundred establishments in September 2024, and which will begin as soon as the February holidays return for the most advanced communities?
“If it’s a way to help students, to put an end to discrimination…
” she explains, before specifying that this experiment will be “
evaluated
”.
And the “level groups” that the executive plans to put in place from the start of the 2024 school year in 6th and 5th grade classes?
“
A serious issue on which I will work with the unions this week
,” explains Nicole Belloubet who, during the transfer of power on Friday, took care to avoid the term “level groups” in her speech.
Nicole Belloubet, whose National Education office will be headed by Éric Thiers, who came from Emmanuel Macron's office, therefore seems to be donning the costume assigned to her.
Four days after her appointment, Nicole Belloubet made her first trip to Reims this Monday.
“
Thank you, Madam Principal.
I know perfectly well what a ministerial trip entails in terms of energy
,” begins Nicole Belloubet, upon her arrival at the Robert Schumann college, a disadvantaged establishment in Reims, which set up the PHARE fight program two years ago. against harassment.
For this trip, the minister appears at ease and attentive.
She also masters the jargon of National Education.
From the principal of the school who welcomes many non-native speaking students, she inquires about the heterogeneity of the classes.
No doubt to test the waters on the famous “level groups” that the executive intends to put in place from the start of the 2024 school year in 6th and 5th grade.
This trip was, however, dedicated to the fight against harassment.
Nicole Belloubet came to present the results of the anonymous questionnaires completed in November by students, from CE2 to high school.
This survey, established on the basis of a representative sample of 17,000 questionnaires, shows that harassment affects 5% of schoolchildren, 6% of middle school students and 4% of students.
“A place where we should live as happily as possible”
This restitution was long awaited.
The idea of the questionnaire was launched in October by Gabriel Attal, when he was Rue de Grenelle.
The current Prime Minister had taken the subject of harassment head-on, after the suicide of Nicolas in September and the controversy surrounding the actions of the Versailles academy.
Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, who stayed on Rue de Grenelle for less than a month, was unable to keep the agenda on the subject, due to the controversies making her speech inaudible.
Read alsoSuicide of Nicolas: Gabriel Attal wants a “disciplinary procedure” for the rector of Versailles
“
In an ideal world, what would it take for you to complete your mission?
» she asks the team at this college of 622 students, which has five harassment advisors.
"
Time !"
they answer.
To the 6th grade students gathered at the CDI, she explains that “
school is a place where we must live as happily and peacefully as possible
”.
While social networks are legally prohibited for those under 13, many in this class are registered there.
They even have a cool group on Snapchat.
The former Minister of Justice explained that she was going to work, in the future, on this subject of access to social networks.
During this trip, she recalled that a bill on their regulation, including in particular a measure to “ban” harassers, was currently under discussion in Parliament.
She also announced the creation of “
150 full-time jobs
” – 50 in academies and 120 in departments – to combat harassment.
Additional compensation of “1,250 euros” will also be paid to school nurses and social workers who coordinate the fight against harassment in educational establishments.
After these first steps, the new Minister of Education will get to the heart of the matter this week, during her first planned meetings with the teaching unions.
It will be about the “clash of knowledge”, level groups, uniforms, attractiveness of the profession and salaries.