The world of education reacted coldly, Monday, to the appointment of Elisabeth Borne to the Ministry of National Education, criticizing her abundant use of 49.3 when she was at Matignon and warning that she would not benefit from any “state of grace”.
“Elisabeth Borne is the first minister of pension reform against whom teachers have mobilized massively, she is also the one who used and abused 49.3”recalls Sophie Vénétitay, 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 Agence France-Presse (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” implies that she will know the “different ministerial portfolios in order to be able to influence the debates” and negotiations.
An opinion shared by Mme Vénétitay, who however warns that the former prime minister, also minister of higher education and research, “will not have a second of grace” in a “school on the brink”.
The teachers' representatives are calling on him to reverse the job cuts planned by Michel Barnier's government and 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”turns Mme David.
As for higher education, where Philippe Baptiste, director of the National Center for Space Studies (CNES), has been appointed Minister Delegate for Higher Education and Research, the unions are also reserved: “It seems that we are losing a full-time minister in a situation where, however, we have never been so bad in budgetary terms”notes Anne Roger, general secretary of Snesup-FSU, the leading higher education union, interviewed by AFP.
Mr. Baptiste, former deputy director general of the CNRS, was chief of staff to Frédérique Vidal, minister during the design of the Parcoursup higher education application platform. For Anne Roger, the appointment of Mr. Baptiste therefore does not mark “no break” with the policies of previous governments. “We are very worried”she concludes.
“This XXL ministry is not very good news given the scale of the projects, which are also very different”adds Sophie Vénétitay, in the columns of the World. To learn more about this, we invite you to read the article below.
