France’s education system continues to grapple with staff shortages despite promises made by then education minister, now prime minister, Gabriel Attal who vowed to address the lack of teachers at public schools.

Paris

France's education system is currently facing challenges in maintaining adequate staffing levels. The situation persists despite commitments from political figures who have acknowledged the issue and pledged to tackle it. Specifically, Gabriel Attal, who served as the education minister before being appointed prime minister, had made promises to address the shortages of teachers in public schools. However, the education system continues to struggle with filling these vacancies, indicating ongoing difficulties in recruiting and retaining teaching staff.



France's education system grapples with staffing shortages

There were high expectations at the start of the academic year in France. The Education Minister, at the time now the Prime Minister, promised all schools in the country would be fully staffed. From the new school year, there will be one teacher in front of each student. We're prepared. But Gabrielle Attal's lofty promises have remained just that. For years, the French education system has been struggling with staffing shortages, frustrating parents, teachers and students alike. At this school in the city of Toulouse, parents attach ribbons to the gates, symbolising each day each child isn't taught. It impacts their learning, the atmosphere at school, inside the household. We're all starting to get worried. In January, France's new Prime Minister named Amélie Oudéa Castera as his replacement in the Education Ministry. But her appointment quickly caused a storm after she defended her decision to send her children to private school. After protesting over pay and working conditions, the new nomination was yet another reason for teachers to take to the streets. They allege the government's planned reforms for the next academic year, which includes experimenting with uniforms, drama classes and learning the national anthem, don't meet their pressing needs. There are a lot of positions that are unfilled. There's a crisis in the sector. It's harder for children to concentrate. We have interesting suggestions to provide, but the problem is we aren't listened to. Oudéa Castera lasted in her role as Education Minister for exactly a month. With staffing shortages in French schools still an issue, the government recently announced measures to simplify requirements for teacher training. The ultimate goal when this plan is in place is to provide better training, anticipate what the country needs and recruit as many people as possible right after high school, reducing the need to recruit contract workers. Last week, the French state was condemned by a court for hours of lost learning by students in Versailles. And while the 150 euros awarded to each plaintiff was largely symbolic, it's an acknowledgement of the state's failure. Each year, 15 million hours of teaching are lost in France due to a school's inability to find a substitute.

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