Early childhood workers across France demonstrated this Tuesday, November 19, 2024 to denounce their deplorable working conditions, which impact the care of children.
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“My nursery is going to crack“, “early childhood, great precariousness“or again”children sacrificed“: the messages displayed on signs by early childhood agents in Normandy, in front of the town hall of Cherbourg (Manche) this Tuesday, November 18, reflected the overall fed up of the profession.
The early childhood sector is “in great precariousness” according to the unions, due to low wages, lack of vocation and an overload of work.
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© France 3 Normandy
Five of the seven Cherbourg nurseries remained closed on Tuesday to denounce their increasingly degraded working conditions. The CFDT, Force Ouvrière and CGT unions were mobilized to sound the alarm.
Émilie Denic embodies the uneasiness of an entire sector, whose future is clearly in danger. Early childhood agent in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, she “can't take it anymore”. She believes that she does not have the means to do her job well, which consists of “to take good care of children and ensure their well-being”.
Emilie Denic, nursery worker in Cherbourg, can no longer stand the poor working conditions which prevent the good reception of children.
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© France 3 Normandy
Due to the lack of staff, the Norman professional assures, with tears in her eyes: “I have to choose which child I will put to bed first, which child I will feed first. Or letting one child cry because I'm busy with another and because my colleagues are caring for other children. For us and for the children, it is no longer livable“.
Today, the supervision conditions are set at one early childhood professional for five children who do not walk. And one professional for every eight walking children. An untenable situation according to Emilie Denic.
“It doesn't reflect the needs of children. There are too few professionals for many children. Sometimes we have to cut a child's meal to give a bottle to another child and then give the bottle back to the first child. I experience it very badly” deplores the early childhood professional, who asks in the future that everyone only have four dependent children, regardless of age.
Early childhood professionals may have to manage up to eight children per worker. Conditions denounced by the unions.
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© France 3 Normandy
A scenario which would only be possible in the event of a drop in the number of children accepted in nurseries or in the event of recruitment of new early childhood professionals. But the very low salaries and the low attractiveness of the profession generate few vocations.
“We want an increase in salaries to live better economically and also to attract professionals who could help us. Many leave the profession due to lack of recognition and work overload.” deplores Emilie Denic.
The report of the National Assembly launched in the fall of 2023 on “prospects for developments in the care of children in nurseries” estimates a deficit of 10,000 professionals in the sector.
A situation of distress which threatens the quality of care for children. “Every child needs emotional and physical attention. But everything is threatened, alert the Norman unions. Quality implies time and human resources. We all have our responsibilities in the world we want for our children“.
