school agents (ATSEM) on strike 5 days after the start of the school year
In Toulouse, the Specialized Territorial Agents of the Nursery Schools are called to strike this Monday, September 5th. A national movement to demand the best working conditions.
They are the teachers’ right-hand man. In nursery school, these Specialized Territorial Agents of Nursery Schools (ATSEM) take care of school children in their daily lives. Supervising the siesta or recess, accompanying them to the toilets or to the canteen, they (because 99% are women) intervene all day at school and during extracurricular time.
The discontent was already present during the previous school year. At the origin of the conflict, the implementation of the law on “1607 hours” which obliges the town halls to apply the 35 hours of work per week of its agents. Previously, derogatory reasons allowed them to avoid them. “We are asking for an exemption in the name of hardship, as was granted to municipal police officers”says Yannick Teboul, the South community union representative in Toulouse. “Our job is difficult and many ATSEM develop musculoskeletal disorders because we are in noise all day. They resumed on August 22 with the pre-return and are already sold out. The union also denounces the increase in the supervision rate. The ATSEM must each take care of 14 children against 10 previous. “These political decisions have a direct impact on the reception of our little ones on a daily basis”deplores a person in charge of extracurricular time who wishes to remain anonymous. “Children don’t know how to dress or eat on their own. With 14 children at the table, the ATSEM has less time for them or has to go without lunch.
Faced with the evolution of their profession, these territorial agents are now asking to be recognized and remunerated in category B. “Since March 1, 2018, our missions have been reviewed and we are also asked to take care of students with special characteristics”also adds Yannick Teboul who is ATSEM. “But we don’t have any training to deal with it. The ATSEM are destitute and cannot take care of other children at the same time.
Another observation is the fact that children who are not yet clean are accepted in schools, but without the latter being equipped with equipment for changing sofas. The ATSEM ask for the necessary equipment.