French teaching unions call for September school strikes
Unions say new assessments are too stressful and are angry over large class sizes
It will be the first main strike of the 2024/2025 school calendar year, with more likely to follow
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Several of the main teaching unions in France have called for members to strike in September, as well as to disrupt the process of new assessments for younger children.
The teaching union FSU-SNUipp, alongside the CGT and SUD education branches, called for the strike – set to take place on Tuesday, September 10 – in a press conference this morning (August 26).
Unions are calling for teachers at nurseries (maternelles) and primary schools (élémentaires) to walk out. It is unclear if teachers at secondary schools (collèges) will also join the action.
Teachers of younger pupils have to make their intentions to strike known prior to the day of action so parents are informed of closures.
In this case, parents will know by September 9 (the Monday before) if schools will be partially or fully closed.
Nurseries and primary schools must also adhere to minimum service requirements, meaning not all teachers can walk out.
Anger over new assessments
The unions are protesting the introduction of standardised assessments for younger pupils in key learning areas.
They are calling on teachers not to hand out these assessments, which they see as restricting the learning ability of younger children, and providing excess stress to teachers, pupils, and parents.
These assessments are being introduced as part of widespread changes implemented by Gabriel Attal – current caretaker prime minister – when he was Education Minister.
Unions are also angry over poor working conditions, with the FSU-SNUipp highlighting high class sizes in France – bigger than the European average, at 26.7 pupils per class in primary schools – and poor pay for teachers.
It will be the first strikes of the 2024/2025 school year, and a continuation of the action that impacted the sector at the beginning of 2024.
Further strikes have not been confirmed but seem likely to follow.
The CGT union – backing the teacher’s strike – is more widely planning a mass mobilisation at the end of September or beginning of October, which may see workers from multiple leading sectors go on strike.
Read more: Main French trade union announces mobilisation for September and October
