French teachers are quitting in record numbers, overwhelmed by low pay, crowded classrooms and increasing demands. Despite successive reforms by previous governments, staffing shortages persist. And leaving the profession is often a difficult process. With the announcement of a new education minister just around the corner, will France’s public education crisis finally ease up?
Rémi Boyer taught history and geography in French public schools for 21 years but decided to retire early because the job “had become too difficult”. Paul* only lasted three years as a design teacher at a vocational high school before he became exhausted and quit. A German-language teacher who has spent the past five years teaching at a school a two-hour drive from her home is still in the trenches, trying to get transferred.
