Controversial Decree on Skills Development and Teacher Evaluation Sparks Union Strike in Wallonia-Brussels Federation

2023-08-28 07:25:56

The liberal and socialist unions active in education in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FWB) are filing a strike notice this Monday, August 28, back to school day. In question: the decree on the development of skills and the evaluation of teachers approved by the parliament of the FWB on July 19th.

There is no date and no ultimatumspecifies Joseph Thonon, the president of the CGSP education. It will strongly depend on the consultations we will have with the government and the progress of the projects. We will see, in common front, what we can do to develop the files.”

The strike notice will cover “any action between now and the end of the legislature“, warn the SETCa-SEL, the CGSP-Teaching, the SLFP-Teaching and Appel in a joint press release. “The timing and modalities of the actions are, to date, not yet established. They will depend above all on the will of the government to work and move forward on the rest of our demands.“, they specify.

The controversial decree on the development of competences and the evaluation of teachers aims to draw up for its teachers, in particular the youngest, a plan for the development of their professional competences. In the event of deficiency or manifest unwillingness at the end of the training, an evaluation procedure may be launched. It involves an individual support plan for each teacher. At the end of this and if no progress is observed, a dismissal procedure may be initiated. However, an appeal is possible.

The socialist and liberal trade unions describe this decree as “deplorable” and regard it as a “disastrous change of direction of the Pact for teaching excellence“. The application of the decree is scheduled for January 2024. The “assessment“will not come into force until mid-2026.

The text was voted on last July 19, “during the well-deserved leave of the teachers, and almost sheltered from the reactions of the field“.

Among the demands of the unions, we also find the reduction of class size, the promotion of qualifying education or the alignment of the academic rhythm of higher education with that newly adopted by compulsory education.

It’s really a pity“, reacted the Minister-President of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, Pierre-Yves Jeholet, on La Première. “I remind you that the pact of excellence is not an à la carte menu, it is a reform that was desired by the political world, but also by all the players in the world of education, including unions.” The Minister of Education, Caroline Désir, for her part declared, on Bel RTL, that she wanted “give a hand“to the unions for”work on their demands“, while recalling that she has already “enormously“coordinated with them during the legislature.

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