Question asked by Dubois on 01/23/2020
Hello,
Your question has been shortened, here it is in full: “Hello, according to several websites, Mr. Blanquer would have said that 99.9% of teachers support the reform of the baccalaureate. My question is not about 99.9% (which is quite fanciful) but about whether [cette phrase] was actually pronounced by the Minister and under what conditions (recently). Thank you.”
Your question relates to an assertion loaned to the Minister of National Education, Jean-Michel Blanquer, according to which 99.9% of teachers would support his reform of the baccalaureate, even though the opponents of said reform have focused for several days on ” common continuous testing ”currently being organized. As Libe told it recently, these “E3Cs” are a kind of hybrid exam, halfway between a classic table assignment and a baccalaureate test under the usual exam conditions.
The supposed statement of the minister, widely shared on social networks, is also taken up on certain media (including the site Permanent revolution) and on a petition, to which many Internet users refer, which invites teachers to make known their opposition: “Mr. Blanquer says that 99.9% of teachers support the reform. Chiche, let’s check this with a petition because this figure seems very far from reality. So if you are a TEACHER and do NOT SUPPORT this reform, say so. We will see if Mr. Blanquer is telling the truth or not. It would be interesting to know and share as much as possible !!!! ”
Immediately, the slogan emerged (which is all the rage among opponents of the minister): “I am 0.1%” (mentioned in the petition) to claim the non-belonging to the supposed 99.9% of supporters of the reform.
Minister of Education – Jean-Michel Blanquer: According to Mr. Blanquer, 99.9% of teachers are for the reform. And you? – Sign the petition! https://t.co/FvyuGofssK via @ChangeFrance
– CGT TUIFRANCE (@CgtTuifrance) January 23, 2020
Some political leaders also relayed the declaration, such as Clémentine Autain (LFI).
Blanquer affirmed on Inter that 99.9% of the teachers supported his reform … thank you to the teachers of Sevran who answer him in pictures! No to # E3C, not with contempt on the part of the Minister!# greve23janvier pic.twitter.com/ju7XtAf4xW
– Clementine Autain (@Clem_Autain) January 23, 2020
Did Jean-Michel Blanquer really make these comments? The site Permanent revolution, who relays the sentence in an article devoted to the opposition against the E3Cs, gives a source: “Despite the radicalization and the obvious widening of the protest on January 19, J.M. Blanquer assured France Inter that 99.9% of teachers would agree.”
The Minister was present on France Inter on January 19. However, he did not say exactly what the petition and Internet users make him say.
The Minister actually devoted part of the program to denying the “anti-Blanquer” climate, and to put the opposition to its reform into perspective, essentially evoking a “Magnifying glass effect” on the action of minorities “Radicalized”. He thus declares: “There is not an anti-Blanquer climate for national education. Again, sorry, but it’s magnifying glass effects. Take the baccalaureate reform, when I presented it, and it hasn’t changed much since then, it has gained support, so it’s because everyone understands the principles, it’s not there because it would be my ideas that I had one fine morning. It’s a huge job of listening and consulting. there were 40,000 high school students consulted, there was a whole work done by Pierre Mathiot [universitaire qui a travaillé sur la réforme, ndlr], before, then I myself did a lot of concerted work, all this lasted for months and even years, because it ranges from 2017 to 2021. There is currently a follow-up committee. This monitoring committee is being listened to, there are inflections. There is a lot of work being done. And today, at each stage, there are radical sectors that challenge the next stage by saying that it will be messy, you will have the teachers against you. Not at all !”
It’s a few minutes later in the show that the famous “99.9%”. After the cancellation of the continuous tests at the Blaise-Pascal high school in Clermont Ferrand was brought up following the intrusion of opponents of the reform in the high school, Blanquer declares (about 30 minutes on the video): “The people who disturb are people who really don’t do any good for the students.” Journalist Ali Baddou cuts him off: “These are sometimes people who love their job, Jean-Michel Blanquer.” To which the minister responds: “You can love your job and not disturb things. And 99.9% of teachers agree with what I just said. What matters above all is the interest of the students. ”
The Minister therefore estimated that 99.9% of teachers agreed with the idea that you can love your work without disturbing the tests. But did not therefore say that 99.9% of teachers were in favor of his reform of the bac (or generally supported his action as minister), as is relayed on social networks.
Cordially.
– .
