The parents’ association (Apic) of the Joseph Lakanal elementary school, located on Place de la Daurade in Toulouse, as well as parents not affiliated with a federation, constantly send letters to the school inspectorate of the Haute-Garonne and the rectorate to alert on the lack of AESH since the start of the school year in September. Letters that often remain a dead letter, which arouses the anger of many families whose children with disabilities need daily support.

“My son Bastien, educated in CM2, who suffers from attention disorders, dyspraxia and dyslexia, has an A ESH only for 1 hour 15 minutes each day, when he should be accompanied all day, assures a mother of student Juliette Planas. I sent a letter at the beginning of September to the rector of the academy and to the inspector, who did not even bother to answer us”.

A critical situation in the department

“The school still lacks AESH to meet the needs: four students need individualized help and eight students need shared help”, assures the parents of students who ensure that with only four AESH in post is not enough. “This situation causes major harm for all the children and families concerned,” continued the parents who mobilized in vain, Wednesday, November 23.

The situation is critical in many schools, from kindergarten to high school. The rectorate of Toulouse, which employs more than 6,500 AESH in the academy for 18,000 children with disabilities, half of them in the department, is struggling to recruit enough accompanying persons despite the establishment of inclusive centers of local support (Pial).