2024-02-02 16:13:01
The rector of the Paris academy Christophe Kerrero in front of Emmanuel Macron at the Sorbonne University in Paris, August 25, 2022, during the back-to-school meeting of rectors. MOHAMMED BADRA / AFP
The Minister of Education, Amélie Oudéa-Castera, already weakened by a succession of controversies since taking office on Rue de Grenelle on January 11, suffered a new setback. The rector of Paris, Christophe Kerrero, in office since July 2020, announced his resignation on Friday February 2 in a letter addressed to academy staff.
A rare and shattering decision for one of the highest executives in national education, in a context of tensions between the Paris academy and its supervisory ministry, and a political symbol, at a time when the defense of he public school is at the heart of the debates.
The rector had warned in the fall of 2023 of the closure of four preparatory classes and the opening of three others at the start of the 2024 school year, but a moratorium on these closures was announced to the School’s Superior Council on January 31 by Amélie Oudéa -Castera, without Christophe Kerrero having been informed. The subject was arbitrated “ in favour » from the rector several weeks ago. “ This was closed and understood with Matignon. The rector of Paris discovered the minister’s decision via the unions’ social networks », assures those around him.
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The announcement, on November 13, 2023, of these four preparatory classes had in fact generated a strong mobilization among Parisian teachers, who argued that these classes respected the requirement for social diversity put forward by the rector of Paris, former chief of staff of Jean-Michel Blanquer, Minister of Education from 2017 to 2022. Two demonstrations were held on December 6 and 13, then on January 15.
“The supply exceeds the needs”
The disappearances of a commercial and general economic class, at the Jacques-Decour high school, of the only hypokhâgne of Lamartine, of a khâgne in Chaptal and of a class of the higher technician adaptation sector in Pierre-Gilles-de-Gennes were to allow, “at constant means”, to open other types of classes. The rector’s ambition was to open two preparatory courses intended for professional baccalaureate holders to prepare for competitive exams for engineering schools and business schools. The Henri-IV high school was to experiment with a completely new preparatory class for school teaching.
In a statement sent to the press on Friday, Amélie Oudéa-Castera’s entourage announced that “the minister takes note of her decision and thanks Christophe Kerrero for his recognized action and commitment in favor of national education”before adding, regarding the decision on prep classes, that“this is a moratorium on closures to give time to analyze. This has no impact on the implementation of the plan which will be well funded.”
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