“The heat is on”: Attal re-emerges in the education sector, risking eclipsing Minister Nicole Belloubet

On the Prime Minister’s menu this week: education. Gabriel Attal returns to the school field. Through this move, he maintains doubts about the room for maneuver of his minister Nicole Belloube after apparent disagreements over future level groups. “I will take the school’s cause with me here to Matignon,” the former education minister promised when he took office as prime minister in January.

A month after the arrival of Nicole Belloubet on the Rue Grenelle, which closed the lightning and very excited passage of Amelie Oudea-Caster, Gabriel Attal returns to the forefront of these issues, devoting a week mainly to school. The first “highlight”: his trip on Monday to Arras, where teacher Dominique Bernard was killed five months ago. An opportunity for him to highlight that school is the “best weapon in the fight” against terrorists, on the occasion of the Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism.

In an interview with Le Figaro newspaper scheduled for Wednesday, Gabriel Attal is expected to “talk again” on topics such as secularism in schools, violence against teachers and the safety of institutions, his circle says. The Prime Minister will finally visit the school on Thursday with Nicole Belloube and will meet via videoconference with heads of institutions (colleges, high schools) on the same day to “solidify his roadmap, especially on shock of knowledge ”, this series of measures for the school was announced in December to raise the standard of students.

Conflicting Discourses

This reinstatement of academic subjects comes after several days of hesitation and conflicting discussions at the French and maths group level in secondary school, one of the key measures of “knowledge shock”. The terms of application of these groups, widely criticized by unions, are due to be published at the end of the week.

The Education Secretary announced on Thursday that she would introduce “some flexibility” in the implementation of these groups, which she prefers to call “needs groups”, next year in Years 6 and 5. She mentioned the possibility of “bringing students together as a class” at specific times. But the next day, Gabriel Attal confirmed that these groups would be “applied to the next school year” to bring together students “of the same level,” without mentioning class groups.

“The beautiful cacophony of which we know at least one thing: it does not lead to peace in national education,” emphasizes Sophie Venetite, general secretary of Snes-FSU, the first union of middle and high schools. “It is unfortunate that we find ourselves in this situation,” says Elizabeth Allen-Moreno, secretary general of SE-Unsa. This seems more like showing off that he’s the head of the school than actually providing peace of mind. »

Bellube “is not cannibalized”

Those around Gabriel Attal assure us that “everyone moves forward with their own sensitivity”, but “there is only one line – the line of the Prime Minister”. “The distribution of roles is underway,” we will add. “Nicole Belloube’s whole job is to reconnect with the unions so that promises are kept.”

But for others, beyond the distribution of roles, these two discourses are a sign of divergence. “There’s really something at stake,” says Sophie Venetite. “The speed of Gabriel Attal’s reaction suggests that he is unwilling to give him a helping hand and give him the slightest room for manoeuvre.”

Senator (LP) Max Brisson also “seems that there is no complete agreement in the speeches of both” with the minister finding it difficult to “clearly express the concept level group, while the Prime Minister’s speech is much clearer on this matter.” dot. For someone close to Emmanuel Macron, “Nicole Belloubet’s position wins.” “This means she is not cannibalized. »