On October 29th, members of the Finance Committee at the National Assembly voted to cancel the elimination of 4,000 teaching positions planned in the 2025 budget, signaling a shift before debates on the floor. This was just the initial round regarding the “expenditures” section of the state budget, and all amendments will need to be re-adopted in the assembly, where deputies will start from the original version.
The Finance Committee of the Assembly adopted an amendment proposed by La France Insoumise (LFI) deputy Paul Vannier. According to Vannier’s team, “the entire New Popular Front [NFP] voted for it.” He stated that “the decrease in school demographics, which has been ongoing for a few years now and is expected to continue in the coming years, could finally allow France to reach the OECD [Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development] average.” Vannier emphasized that there are 22 students per class in elementary school in France compared to the OECD’s average of 19, and 26 in middle school compared to 21. He believes that at the very least, the number of teaching positions must be maintained, and even more should be created.
The government had announced on October 10th the elimination of 4,000 teaching positions in the 2025 budget, leading to strong reactions from teachers’ unions who described it as a “true bloodletting”. In terms of the specific breakdown of fewer teaching positions, public primary schools (kindergarten and elementary) are most affected with a reduction of 3,155 positions. Public secondary schools (middle and high schools) lose 180 positions, while private primary schools lose 660 and private secondary schools lose 40, according to the ministry. The Ministry of Education cites the decrease in the number of students as justification, noting that there will be 97,000 fewer students at the start of the 2025 school year.
Despite the budget presentation, Education Minister Anne Genetet stated that “changes” are still possible during the “parliamentary debate.” This indicates that there may be room for adjustments to the proposed cuts to teaching positions. The rejection of the elimination of 4,000 teaching positions sheds light on the challenges facing the education system in crisis. The decision to maintain teaching positions could have significant implications on the quality of education and class sizes in schools across France. The discussions in the Assembly will continue to play a crucial role in shaping the future of education in the country.
