“Provocation”, “not a second of grace”… The world of education reacts to the appointment of Borne

The world of education reacted coldly on Monday, December 23 to the appointment of Elisabeth Borne as Minister of National Education, criticizing her abundant use of 49.3 when she was at Matignon and warning that she will not benefit from any “state of grace”.

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“Elisabeth Borne is the Prime Minister of pension reform against which teachers have mobilized massively, she is also the one who used and abused 49.3”recalls Sophie Venetitay, general secretary of SNES-FSU, the main secondary education union.

Guislaine David, co-general secretary and spokesperson for the Snuipp-FSU union (primary), contacted by AFP, even speaks of « provocation ». Elisabeth Allain Moreno, general secretary of the SE Unsa union, however, believes that the “management of a ministry as important as National Education by a former Prime Minister” fact that she will know the “different ministerial portfolios in order to be able to influence the debates” and negotiations.

“Not a second of grace”

An opinion shared by Sophie Venetitay who nevertheless warns that the former Prime Minister, who is also Minister of Higher Education and Research, “will not have a second of grace” in a “school on the brink”.

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The teachers' representatives are calling on him in particular to reverse the job cuts which had been planned by the outgoing government of Michel Barnier, to cancel the so-called reform of “Shock of knowledge” initiated by Gabriel Attal and continued by outgoing minister Anne Genetet.

The unions also believe that the resumption of education in Mayotte after the devastation of Cyclone Chido is one of the new minister's priorities. “If the course set for several months is maintained, National Education staff will mobilize to challenge it again”warned Guislaine David.

“We are very worried”

On the higher education side, where Philippe Baptiste, director of the National Center for Space Studies (CNES), has been appointed deputy minister responsible for higher education and research, the unions here too appear reserved: “it seems that we are losing a full-time minister in a situation where we have never been so bad in budgetary terms”remarks Anne Roger, general secretary Snesup FSU, the leading higher education union, interviewed by AFP.

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Philippe Baptiste, former deputy general director of the CNRS, is notably the former chief of staff of former minister Frédérique Vidal, who was at the helm during the design of the Parcoursup higher education application platform.

For Anne Roger, the choice of Baptiste Philippe therefore does not mark “no break” with the policies of previous governments. “We are very worried”she concludes.