France to fast-track training of school teachers to fill 4,000 vacancies

More than 4,000 teaching jobs have yet to be filled just over a week before some 12 million French pupils go back to school. A promise by Education Minister Pap Ndiaye that there would be "a teacher in front of every class" on 1 September is looking increasingly unlikely, with crisis units set up throughout France to manage the problem.

Figures from the education ministry showing that 4,000 teacher jobs remain vacant have led to a debate in recent weeks about how to attract more people to the profession. AFP - LIONEL BONAVENTURE

While the recently appointed Ndiaye is seeking to offer reassurances without "denying the structural difficulties", teachers' unions are sounding the alarm.

They have denounced plans to use teachers under "short term contracts" who are not properly trained. 

Teachers trained in four days

The "contractual" teachers who will take up some of the 4,000 vacant positions at the start of the new school year will be trained over four days. But most of these recruits will be beginners and will only have a few days to prepare.

Part of the training will be dedicated to the functioning of the school, relations with parents and the headmaster. A module on the issue of secularism will also be given. 

Two other days will be dedicated to the preparation of the basic courses. And for the most part, these new teachers do not know in which class and level they will have to teach. 

This is the case for Brice, a former salesman, who has no experience of teaching. However, he confided to France Info: "In a school, there is a team, colleagues, a director. There is no reason why it shouldn't work."

Monitoring

The teachers will be monitored by the school directors and the academic inspectorate (l'inspection académique) and will have to attend some 20 days of training during the year.

There is a risk that newcomers will have to take the place of permanent staff as soon as the new school year starts, without any real training. 

On Thursday French president Emmanuel Macron promised that the upgrading of teachers' salaries would be "pursued" so that none of them would start their career "at less than 2,000 euros net" per month, in the hope to motivate new careers.

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