The proposed reduction of 4,000 teaching positions in the 2025 budget for the National Education system has sparked outrage among unions, who view it as a significant blow to public schools, particularly in kindergarten and elementary levels. The Ministry of Education justifies this decrease by citing a projected decline in student enrollment, with an estimated 97,000 fewer students expected at the start of the 2025 school year. The budget does, however, include funding for an additional 2,000 AESH (accompanists for students with disabilities).
Overall, the education sector will bear the brunt of the cuts, accounting for the majority of the total job losses for state and affiliated entities, totaling 2,201 positions. In terms of teaching positions, primary education (kindergarten and elementary) will see the biggest impact, with a reduction of 3,155 positions. Secondary public education (middle and high schools) will lose 180 positions, while private primary and secondary education will experience losses of 660 and 40 positions respectively. The unveiling of the budget has resulted in widespread frustration among teachers’ unions, who were already skeptical of the new minister’s lack of expertise.
Union leaders, including Guislaine David from FSU-Snuipp and Sophie Vénétitay from Snes-FSU, have strongly condemned the cuts, labelling them as detrimental to the public school system. They accuse the government of prioritizing financial savings over the quality of education. The lack of filling over 3,000 teaching positions through public and private school competitions this year further underlines the challenges facing the education sector in terms of staffing.
Criticism of the budget cuts has not been limited to unions, with opposition figures like Jean-Luc Mélenchon condemning the reductions as a threat to education quality. The simultaneous increase in demands for inclusive education for students with disabilities, coupled with a perceived lack of attractiveness and competitiveness in the teaching profession, has added to the concerns raised by educators. Despite the announcement of additional positions for accompanists for students with disabilities, there are doubts about the availability of willing candidates due to inadequate remuneration.
Previous budget proposals, such as the 2024 budget that included the elimination of 2,500 teaching positions, have also faced backlash from unions and opposition leaders. While demographic factors have been cited as a reason for these cuts, concerns about the impact on educational standards and the ability to provide quality teaching remain at the forefront of the debate. The Education budget for 2025, totaling 63 billion euros, has remained relatively stable compared to the previous year, despite fluctuations in funding allocations.
The ministry has emphasized an increase of 834 million euros compared to the 2024 budget, when Anne Genetet assumed office in September. However, when compared to the original budget approved a year ago, this increase appears more modest due to budget reductions in February. The ministry asserts that education will remain a top budget priority for the nation, despite the ongoing challenges and criticisms surrounding the proposed job cuts and budget allocations.
