“We are poor employees. » Valérie Souchet, Supporter of students with disabilities (AESH) in a college in Indre-et-Loire, unionized at the FSU, clearly underlines the precariousness of this profession. This Thursday, January 16, 2025, with her colleagues from the department, she will be mobilized in front of the Indre-et-Loire prefecture in Tours.
“We requested an audience with the prefectshe says. We want to present our demands to him. We are contract workers, often on fixed-term contracts, sometimes on permanent contracts, not civil servants. We are demanding a real status, that is to say the creation of a body of category B civil servants.”
Of the 988 AESH in the department, 628 are on permanent contracts, 360 on fixed-term contracts.
“Approximately 62% of full time”
Since the entry into force of the 2005 law on the education of disabled students, just twenty years ago, the status of AESH “has evolved a little”recognizes Valérie Souchet. “But this remains a precarious statusshe indicates, the remuneration increases every three years but it is very low. »
AESH are in fact part-time employees. “Most of my colleaguesindicates the FSU representative, have a 24-hour contract per week. It could be more but it's rare. Overall, this represents 62% of full time. The salary depends on seniority but it starts around €800 per month. As far as I'm concerned, with fifteen years of seniority, I'm at a little over €1,000 per month. »
Most are forced to have a second job to get by
Véronique Souchet, AESH (FSU)
This is unfortunately the observation of many AESH: “It’s exciting work but you can’t make a living from it. »
“The AESHcontinues Valérie Souchet, are more than 90% women, sometimes single mothers. Most are forced to have a second job to get by. Sometimes, it is possible to work extra hours for extracurriculars or for studying in the evening, or for school meals. »
“Some discover that they have to carry young people to the toilet”
Very often, AESH take care of several students, sometimes in different establishments. “Travel time between establishments is counted on the accompaniment timeindicates Valérie Souchet. Individual AESH are reserved for the most complex disabilities, this only represents 20% of cases. Everything else is shared AESH who take care of several students. »
This is the case of Clara, a recent recruit who has had to take care of three schoolchildren with motor disabilities since the last school year. “I am used to working with childrenshe explains. But here, we are really thrown into the bath without preparation. Initially, I was supposed to have two students to accompany, ultimately it was three. There are colleagues who discover that they have to carry young people to the toilet. Just as we are not asked if we know how to use PDF, Word, or even a computer. As for the training, for me, it started a month and a half after the start of the school year. »
A transpartisan bill tabled
The AESH also highlights the low remuneration. “Basically, I earn less than €900 per month. What do you want to do with that, when everything is increasing…”she sighs.
A transpartisan bill was tabled on December 3 in the National Assembly to offer real status to AESH. Hope for the entire profession and for the inclusion of disabled students in school.
Gathering Thursday January 16, 2025, at 5 p.m., in front of the Indre-et-Loire prefecture in Tours.
“A 56% increase in the number of AESH”
The management of the departmental services of National Education, for its part, notes a good ratio of students with AESH. “91% of students who have been notified benefit from support,” specifies the DSDEN.
Above all, she specifies that the number of AESH “has increased by 56% in five years in the department and that specific training of 60 hours is offered to newly recruited AESH, supplemented by 12 hours of continuing training each year. »
The DSDEN admits that “recruitment can be more difficult in rural areas” but affirms that this is not the case at all in the agglomeration of Tours.
