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Teacher Unions Decry school Cuts in Hautes-Pyrénées Ahead of 2025
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France, are protesting school closures and staff cuts for 2025, citing concerns over learning conditions and teacher workload.">
Teacher unions in the Hautes-Pyrénées region of France are voicing strong opposition to proposed school closures and staff reductions slated for the 2025 academic year.Representatives from various unions gathered at the Conseil Départemental de l’Éducation Nationale (CDEN) to express their deep concerns about the impact of these measures on both student learning and teacher well-being.
Primary Schools Face Significant Reductions
The primary school system is expected to bear a significant brunt of the cuts.According to the SGEN CFDT union, closures are planned for schools in Siradan, Sarrancolin, Lannemezan (Paul-bert and Paul-Baratgin), Trie-sur-baïse, Lascazères (leading to the school’s closure), Vic-en-Bigorre (Pierre-Guillard), Sarrouilles, and Gerde. In total, nine class closures are anticipated, compared to only six openings. The Hautes-Pyrénées will lose three primary-level teaching positions.
did You Know? France’s education system is highly centralized, with the national government setting curriculum and standards.
Union representatives highlight several critical issues arising from these cuts. These include an ever-increasing workload for teachers, inadequate resources for inclusive education, a shortage of substitute teachers, and deteriorating school buildings and technical equipment.”Sometimes, we have 30 students without a substitute teacher, which is a real problem. Regarding the buildings, we saw during the heatwaves that they became ovens. We regret the choices to withdraw resources; we are only focusing on quantity,” lamented Agnès Puzos, a CFDT member for primary education.
The CFDT union released a statement expressing the “deep concern of primary school staff, who are increasingly exposed to a deterioration of their working conditions, a loss of meaning in their profession, and an accumulation of burdens that frequently enough exceed what is acceptable.”
Secondary Schools Also Affected by Budget Cuts
The situation in secondary schools is equally troubling. Five class closures are planned for collèges (middle schools) and six for lycées (high schools), including three in Tarbes, with only two openings in collèges. with a projected decrease of 90 students, eight full-time equivalent positions will be eliminated.
Philippe Boyer, a CFDT union representative for secondary education, stated, “The under-evaluation leads to numerous class closures.This really puts the schools in difficulty for the start of the school year. The Blanche-Odin collège in Bagnères-de-Bigorre and the René-Billères lycée in Argelès-Gazost are among the most affected. Since June 20, the teams have been trying to rebuild an organization for the start of the school year. It’s exhausting.”
Pro Tip: school districts frequently enough face difficult decisions when balancing budgets and educational needs.
Parents and teachers from the Beaulieu collège in Saint-Laurent de Neste also attended the CDEN meeting to voice their concerns.A third-grade class is slated for closure, while parents are demanding the creation of a third sixth-grade class. The collège is expected to accommodate 63 students in just two classes at the start of the school year
