“I gave a year and a half of salary in 10 years to National Education”: in Troyes, angry teachers

2024-04-12 05:44:16

“We have been experiencing a situation of injustice for 10 years”… The anger of Diane Marage, professor of earth sciences and life at the Collège des Jacobins in Troyes, is not about to subside. She and her colleagues never stop moving heaven and earth to be heard, even going on strike at the last school year. A large majority of teachers from the middle school and the 8 affiliated primary schools then shared their anger to obtain REP + status in their establishments.

A fight that began in 2018, when they were able to have access to National Education statistics. “We each time addressed by mail to the different directors of the academic services of National Education who have succeeded one another in Aube,” recalls Diane Marage. Each time, the academic inspection returns the ball to the rectorate, then to the ministry. The answer ? “We can’t do anything if the ministry doesn’t put the distribution of REP and REP + back on the table,” relays the teacher. “At the start, we were told that we didn’t have the right figures. As the discussions progressed, we explained that these figures were wrong, different… We were finally confirmed that we were wronged, but since then, things have not progressed, or very little,” she notes, doubtful.

“The establishment is by far the most disadvantaged in the department”

And yet in 2014, during the priority education reform, the Jacobins college already appeared to be in great difficulty on 3 of the 4 criteria monitored: the rate of scholarship recipients, the percentage of disadvantaged socio-professional categories and the percentage of students late in 6th grade. “It already deserved to have this REP + status, and today, the indicators leave no doubt because the establishment is by far the most disadvantaged in the department,” underlines Guillaume Pelzer, PE teacher. “What also raises questions is that in 2014, the figures differ depending on the sources we want to study.”

This map, which was intended to be revised, has not changed since. The publication in 2022 of the updated social position index (IPS), which makes it possible to assess the situation of students in relation to the profession and social origin of their parents, only reinforces the conviction of the teaching staff. The IPS is the lowest in the department, behind the two colleges of La-Chapelle-Saint-Luc, classified in REP +. “It restarted our efforts,” he confirms

This classification in REP + would not be trivial. For the college “there is better supervision in terms of medical staff and supervisors… There is also the number of students limited to 25 per class. For teachers, one hour of the timetable is freed to be able to organize more consultation time, meetings and carry out more projects and monitoring, closer to students and families,” explains Guillaume Pelzer. Without forgetting a significant salary bonus, more than 5,000 euros per year for example for a teacher. “I gave a year and a half of salary in 10 years to national education,” laments Diane Marage.

For primary schools, “we add training for teachers, particularly for students in difficulty, with replacements, which is not the case in REP”, specifies Laurence Bebenek, teacher at the Blossières school in Troyes. “Time for consultation, for us, would be very important, because we have projects to put together and we don’t have any hours at all.”

“We are not asking for a favor, simply a due”

Supported by the city of Troyes, which recently wrote to the ministry, but also the department, LR deputy Valérie Bazin-Malgras and centrist senator Evelyne Perrot, the collective is now awaiting feedback from National Education. “It’s very difficult to have someone to talk to,” laments Guillaume Pelzer. “We managed to get a fairly terse response by mail. We are told that we know our situation, but that there are no plans to review the priority education map, therefore status quo until further notice.”

A dead end for teachers, frustrated to find the door closed. “We are not asking for a favor, simply a due,” breathes the sports teacher. A situation which has an impact on the learning of the 1,500 students concerned, from disadvantaged neighborhoods, namely “Les Sénardes, Jules Guesde, Les Vassaules, Point-du-Jour… Some are among the 20 poorest neighborhoods in France” notes -he.

Located near the Jules Guesde district, currently undergoing redevelopment in Troyes, the establishment could ultimately benefit from undue social diversity through the construction of a bilingual international school, in English and French. A bet on the future which should not make teachers forget the present. “We find the project really interesting,” says Laurence Bebenek, “but even if students are going to this international establishment, what do we do with the other schools? We are still here and we will not have any recruitment on file.” The collective says it is ready to take new actions, in particular a strike at the next school year, or even an appeal to administrative justice. “We wouldn’t like to get to that point because we think the discussion remains open, we would just like to be heard,” implores Diane Marage.