“National education is not doing well”: in Gers, representatives of parents of pupils are nevertheless missing from the roll call

Defending the interests of children, representing parents to institutions and public authorities, participating in school life: the role of parent representatives remains little known although crucial. A few days after the start of the school year, in the Gers department, they are still missing.

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In schools, middle schools or high schools, parents drop off their children in front of the gates. But what happens to the students once they have passed through the gates? This is the question that parent representatives are trying to answer by organizing themselves around associations, lists or networks like the Federation of Parents’ Councils (FCPE).

Many have heard of it, but what is it for? The FCPE is neither a union nor a political party. It is a vast network of parents of students who are members and elected in primary and secondary schools.

“Imbalances depending on the departments”

“We are very attached to the issue of the commitment of parents who are part of the entire educational community,” presents the national president of the FCPE, Abdelkrim Mesbahi. Before the start of the school year, the latter and his teams traveled to several departments of the territory to meet with educational teams.

Objectives of this tour: to promote and enhance co-education and the place of parents in schools, to give voice to the voices of parents whose mobilization has not weakened since last January, to invite people to come and discuss their expectations for public schools.

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The problems are omnipresent in France and Gers is no exception to the rule: there is a shortage of teachers, AESH, classes are closing. “National education is not doing well, on many subjects. It starts with the teacher not being replaced, with the non-continuity of public service. There is also the issue of the canteen, school buildings, the issue of transport”, summarizes Abdelkrim Mesbahi.

In conjunction with families, representatives play a mediating role, which is essential for the proper functioning of schools, middle schools and high schools. “There are imbalances depending on the departments. This is why there must be parents who get involved for their children and try to put forward demands to improve schooling,” insists the head of the FCPE, who is starting this new school year without a departmental representative in Gers.

Information, training and representation

Multiple actions are organized such as ensuring that students are welcomed in the establishments and that everything goes well. If this is not the case, parent delegates will be able to refer the matter to those responsible (teachers, school management, academic service, etc.). They also have an information mission, whether it refers to questions relating to the canteen, the digital workspace, homework, safety, hygiene, etc.

“There is strong pressure from private schools with lower catering costs than in public schools. This is one of the arguments that make families prefer to put their children in these establishments while we have very high-performing public schools.” – Abdelkrim Mesbahi.

Recently, the FCPE took a stand against the “clash of knowledge”, particularly relating to the distribution of middle school students according to their level, and for a “positive project for the school”.

More importantly, elected officials have a mission of representation. As an institution, depending on the locality, representatives may be required to represent students in bodies. In nursery schools, for example, school councils are held every quarter.

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Elected parents of students thus attend meetings with parents, teachers and communities (town hall, urban area) and have opportunities to debate on topics of improvement for the well-being of children. They also sit on the boards of directors in high schools in order to vote, for example, on the internal regulations of the establishment.

Involvement in the life of establishments, whether through parents’ associations (APE) or parents’ federations (FCPE or PEEP), thus places the student “at the heart of the debates”.