Dor a fortnight ago, a new wave of cyber threats swept through French high schools and universities: 430 emails, twenty academies affected. But it was in Bordeaux that the Minister of National Education, Nicole Belloubet, decided to speak about this violence. And it’s no coincidence: the events that took place this week at the secondary vocational school in Trégey are particularly shocking.
After the first report targeting the business on Tuesday, Thursday morning, the attacks really escalated. “Twelve employees were targeted by name, first name and last name…
Dor a fortnight ago, a new wave of cyber threats swept through French high schools and universities: 430 emails, twenty academies affected. But it was in Bordeaux that the Minister of National Education, Nicole Belloubet, decided to speak about this violence. And it’s no coincidence: the events that took place this week at the secondary vocational school in Trégey are particularly shocking.
After the first report targeting the business on Tuesday, Thursday morning, the attacks really escalated. “Twelve members of staff were targeted by name, including first and last name, and threatened with death by slitting their throats,” a shocked member of the school’s learning community testified. “The whole list. » The violence of these remarks threw teachers, principals, staff and students into terror.
The protective shield
In this context, Nicole Belloubet met with the educational team of the Gironde High School before a round table on the safety of educational facilities held in the prefecture together with the authorities concerned. “I came to Bordeaux to express the emotions we have when our schools and our teaching staff are the subject of malicious attacks,” the minister began. “I came to tell them they are not alone,” she continued. “Together, we create a protective shield around our establishments. »
The minister thus described in detail the “immediate crisis management” and listed the means urgently deployed by the Bordeaux rectorate: the establishment of a psychological unit, educational support for the educational team and to ensure physical protection the academy’s mobile security force, which will be on duty from next Tuesday. Founded in 2009, these “mobile academic security teams” have around 550 members in France from national education, other ministries or security professions (retired gendarmes or police officers).
Launching a national ‘mobile school force’
In addition, the minister also announced the launch of a national mobile school unit that could “from the start of the 2024 school year be deployed within forty-eight hours to facilities in trouble, a time to calm the teams and help them overcome the situation.” Specifically, this team will consist of approximately twenty National Education Agents – CPEs – who can be deployed across the territory in the event of an acute crisis.
On the digital front, Nicole Belloubet has declared war on “malicious cyber attacks”. It has therefore decided to suspend messaging the ORLs (digital workspaces) of businesses targeted by the attacks: access codes will be reset during spring break. Second, the National Digital Security Agency will verify and enforce their security.
The state will seek justice and file a civil suit
Finally, to strengthen the “legal protection” of employees, Nicole Belloubet announced that “the state will systematically take civil action when a complaint is filed.” “When cyber-maliciousness or physical attacks occur, schools suffer material damage, teachers suffer psychological, physical or moral harm; the state will seek justice; the school will receive a refund. »
“adhesive plaster”
Meanwhile, on the fifth floor of the prefecture, the minister’s social adviser received four trade unions, Snetaa-FO, SNES-FSU, Unsa and Sgen-CFDT, who requested admission to discuss the “general deterioration of the school climate”. “.
“Apart from this crisis, the general context is worrying,” explains Éric Mouchet, general secretary of Snetaa-FO, the first trade union of teachers in secondary vocational schools. Elected to the CHSCT Academic Committee (Health, Safety and Working Conditions Committee), he condemns the “explosion of facts about the ‘establishment’ (incidents, editor’s note), requests for employee protection, disciplinary boards and records of pain at work.” The announced measures are insufficient, the situation will continue to deteriorate,” he concludes. “A band-aid,” says a colleague. “We need human resources, CPE, supervisors, teachers, facility managers,” says Sonia Meljac, general secretary of Snes-FSU. “The story doesn’t end,” insists Éric Mouchet.
The next chapter will be written on April 4 at a meeting of the Prime Minister, the Minister of the Interior, the Minister of National Education and rectors.