Education. Secondary schools and colleges: government returns to ‘cutting’ overtime

On Wednesday, the government decided to cancel the controversial “reduction” of overtime in secondary schools and universities originally planned until the end of the school year, a measure that was supposed to allow budget savings in the national education system.

“The Minister of National Education and Youth has issued instructions that from tomorrow (Thursday) the academies will get back the originally announced budget resources to continue allocating overtime in the facilities,” rue de Grenelle said in a press release.

“In line with the priority given by the government to national education, the prime minister and the minister of national education and youth hoped that educational institutions would continue to have the means to successfully fulfill their mission,” we said – completed from the same source.

Strong emotions among teaching staff

At the beginning of the week, the rectors announced to school principals “measures to reduce overtime allowances and special mission allowances”, according to a report consulted by AFP.

The reduction, or even in some cases, the elimination of this budget package by principals and principals to fund measures such as “homework done” or academic support, resulting in the pure and simple halting of these projects, has since caused strong emotions among the education staff carried their unions.

Rectors justified this measure by applying a cut of 10 billion euros that Bercy imposed on the budget of the administrations for 2024. For National Education, it is a question of finding savings of a little less than 692 million euros.

“Good news” according to the minister’s entourage

“Overtime is maintained. This is good news,” said those close to the Minister of National Education and Youth, Nicole Belloubet, when contacted by AFP.

According to the source, the messages sent to the chancellors were sent to facility managers “out of budgetary prudence” because “it was considered prudent to slow down overtime without suspending it entirely.”

Contacted by AFP, Sophie Vénétitay, general secretary of Snes-FSU, the leading union of secondary and higher education institutions, believes the ministerial announcement is a “happy surprise” but also expresses her “disbelief” in the face of the succession of decisions and decisions. his “vigilance” about future budget cuts.

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