Presidential: Emmanuel Macron softens his speech on teachers

This is a radical change of tone for teachers. Two weeks after the presentation of their program, in mid-March, and a speech considered brutal against them, Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to them by applauding them, during his meeting on Saturday in Nanterre. At France Inter, this Monday morning, the candidate has continued to soften his speech.

One week before the first round of the presidential election, the outgoing head of state is calling for the left. To the question “Do you think teachers don’t work hard enough?” “The candidate replied to France Inter:” No, nothing. »

More flexibility

“I think the situation is very diverse,” he said. Our teachers are not well paid, especially at the beginning of their careers, after which they start to approach the average, have better end of career and have a rather better retirement, in proportion, than the rest of European neighbors. There are more holidays than in the neighbors, but the start of the race is not very good. I wish we could change that. »

Candidate Macron attacks a system that “probably works too monolithically” where “principals say they don’t have enough flexibility, teachers don’t feel recognized enough, rightly so, students’ parents often live in distress and students” . we cannot say that we have the school of confidence that has been most successful. »

Do as for priority education

Therefore, it aims to “do exactly what we have done for teachers working at REP-REP +”, invoking the “premium of 4,500 euros per year”, started in the five-year Hollande and continued by the current Minister of Education. , Jean-Michel Blanquer.

If elected, “a major national negotiation” will take place at the beginning of the five-year term, with 12 billion euros a year for the five-year term, “in the last year”, on education and youth. Pay more to “those who do much more and don’t pay more.” This is the idea of ​​a “pact” with teachers.

Although he defends his school record, of which he has said he is “proud”, Emmanuel Macron aims to make education “a great struggle for years to come” because “the social elevator is still too broken” .

“Our teachers, to whom we owe so much”

“There are still too many discouraged teachers, too many worried parents, too many disgruntled students,” he said on Saturday, stressing a theme cherished by Marine Le Pen. “His program is to increase the hours of French and mathematics in primary and 6th grade, and the return of mathematics to the common core of the institute.

Emmanuel Macron has also distanced himself from his national education minister, Jean-Michel Blanquer, who has been widely criticized by teachers’ unions. “Above all, above all, we will do differently,” he said during his meeting. “We will do this by trusting our teachers, to whom we owe so much and to whom the Nation owes so much,” the candidate insisted before applauding them.

Returning to the health crisis during which criticism has been strong against teachers, in the very ranks of the government, Emmanuel Macron continued: “We have asked them so much. When we wanted to reopen the school on May 11, 2020, I know what we asked of them, he insisted. And here I want to thank them particularly and personally. »

“Free of his career”

Emmanuel Macron also insisted on Saturday that teachers would be “freer, to propose, to innovate, to experiment, to try other methods, in class, and to be able to share them.”

Teachers will also be “free in their careers,” he announced on Saturday, “free to choose an establishment for their unique educational project, and to get out of the geographical movements that sometimes put them under house arrest.”

“A total revolution of the vocational training institute”

For Emmanuel Macron, this “school revolution” will be made “with the freest school principals themselves to build projects, to lead teams, to bring them together for this great school project.” He cited teachers, school principals, mayors, parents and associations in charge of extracurricular activities to whom he wants to give “the means” to invent “adapted, new” solutions as close to the field as he had promised to do. . so in Marseilles.

It is “the great innovation”, he insisted on Monday at France Inter, because “our school cannot function in the same way in the center of Amiens, in the districts of North Marseille and in Clichy-sous-Bois”.

The candidate has reaffirmed his desire to make “a complete – complete – revolution of the vocational training institute.” He clarified on Monday that he wanted to “allow young people between the ages of 16 and 17 to finally have a salary when they do an internship, (which) until now was not possible.”