The staff of the Henri-IV school campus in Béziers – teachers, educational assistants (AED), accompanying students with disabilities (AESH) and canteen agents, were on strike this Thursday, November 21.
“More means, less contempt”, “Boxing is in a ring”, “Stop widespread abuse”, “Without a pawn, it’s failure”… On the panels of striking staff from the Henri-IV school campus in Béziers, gathered in front of the establishment all morning on Thursday, November 21, the slogans shouted the teams' fed-up.
Everyone decided on this day of strike to denounce the almost daily violence faced by teachers as well as education assistants (AED), those supporting students with disabilities (AESH) and canteen staff. 31 teachers on strike out of 33 at middle school, almost a full list, and 38 out of 68 at high school. A difference which can be explained by much more frequent incidents of violence at school, which the staff confirms. School life and the canteen were closed.
“A movement born from the despair of education assistants”
“The particularity of this movementexplained teacher Saïd Bridai, representing Snes-FSU, it is that it was born from the despair of the AED in view of the violence, insults and threats that they experience on a daily basis.”
The latest important event: November 18, at 10 a.m. Emmanuel Bassou, an AED, says: “It was during recess, at college. Three students are fighting. We intervene, we send them to school life, with the aim of being managed by the CPE, the main education advisor. Who doesn't have them received immediately. The students returned to class Except that at 2 p.m., they still had not seen the CPE And a parent of one of the three entered the establishment, threatening the staff because he had learned. another student – and not by direction – that his daughter had fought and that she had to see the CPE He told us, furious: “I'm coming out of prison, I could very well come back to Henri-IV and do something crazy!”
“That’s enough”
Saïd Bridaï continues: “For us, the teachers, everything changed on October 17, just before the holidays, when a pregnant AED had to intervene between two students who were fighting. She received blows. And then, we said to ourselves , that's enough! Following these facts, the teachers and the AEDs walked out in the courtyard. A delegation was received by the head of the establishment. The discussion was fruitless, but it was especially on the side of the college's CPE. The problem is the same the next day, October 18, with a student who threatened to kill a supervisor with a gesture of slitting her throat. It was the week when schools organized a minute of silence in tribute to Samuel Paty.
“We must return to a healthy and safe climate”
And Emmanuel Bassou said: “We do not want violence to be trivialized, to become the norm. We must return to a healthy and reassuring climate for students and staff alike, and also think about the other part of the students, those who are victims or witnesses. We We want, for this, to be supported by our hierarchy, and also for it to be physically present in the places where students pass through.”
A delegation, accompanied by Jean-Philippe Papineau, Henri-IV's principal, went this Thursday morning, at 10 a.m., to the Rectorate. She met Catherine Côme, the academic director of the National Education Services (Dasen) of Hérault, the HR director and the deputy chief of staff of the rector.
“We were listened to, yes, but heard, I don’t know”
Christophe Benoit, representative of Snes-FSU, was part of the delegation of strikers who went this Thursday morning to the Rectorate in Montpellier. “We raised our demands. We were heard in particular on the events of October 18, just before the holidays, where the AED was threatened with death with signs of having their throats cut. We regretted the management's decision not to put in place a precautionary measure to remove the student. He simply returned after the vacation. But the rector's representative recognized serious facts which deserve legal action.
In this regard, Catherine Côme, the Dasen of Hérault, indicated that the rectorate “was going to support the establishment in the drafting of article 40” (that is to say a report to the prosecutor, Editor's note). And we will do it for all acts of violence, insults or threats that deserve it.”. This satisfied the team of Henri-IV who wanted, first of all “greater responsiveness from management and hierarchy”. “We were listened to, yes, but heard, I don’t know. Will the words be followed up with effects?”asks the teacher.
On the question of additional resources, in particular concerning the Ulis class which opened at the start of the school year but without the two compulsory AESH, Dasen told them that it would study the question. But regarding two additional desired supervisor positions, she responded: “We have a theoretical endowment at Henri-IV which is above that of other establishments. We will therefore not be able to endow more.” And to add: “We are listening to the teams' difficulties. We will support the establishment in managing these acts of violence. First by identifying the phenomena, the reasons which lead to these acts, then by supporting them.” Comment ? “With the systems we have at our disposal. Like, for example, IA-IPR EVS staff, or regional educational inspectors who can intervene in establishments to support the teams. Or even through the School Climate Observatory to carefully study the phenomena and find solutions”.
