A-Infos (en) France, UCL AL #349 - In situ, Le 93 rises up against the "clash of knowledge" scam (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

The education protest, which began at the end of February, marked a 
milestone on March 30, with several demonstrations across 
Seine-Saint-Denis. In the south of the department, the marches from 
Bagnolet, Les Lilas, Montreuil and Rosny converged at Montreuil town 
hall. Under rainy skies, teachers, parents and students demand quality 
public education accessible to all. ---- This Saturday, March 30, 
despite the vagaries of the sky, Montreuil was the scene of a 
mobilization against the "clash of knowledge" and Attal's school reform. 
This reform, initially intended to reorganize the education system, has 
become the symbol of the struggles for a quality public school 
accessible to all.

Bagnolet, 10 a.m., in front of Politzer college: a sound car, two 
children in coats, three banners and four umbrellas: small crowd, but 
determined. Teachers and parents gathered to demonstrate their 
opposition to "school sorting". The laminated posters that they display, 
presenting photos of the degraded premises at the Langevin college in 
Bagnolet, leave one meditative: markers covered in mold, crumbling 
walls, stagnant water on the floor which rots the table legs, so many 
visions of horror of the reality that students and teachers face on a 
daily basis. (the posters mention the hashtag #travailenlutte which link 
to Youtube, Tiktok and Twitter accounts which summarize the reform and 
list the demands of teachers).

Counterproductive and discouraging approach
A college teacher takes the floor to outline Attal's reform. The weary 
faces welcome his words in silence. He doesn't say anything that the 
demonstrators don't already know: the establishment of level groups 
risks creating very significant distortions. Only a few students would 
be considered "strong", while the group of struggling students would be 
overloaded. This approach is not only counterproductive, but also 
discouraging for struggling students, affecting their self-esteem. This 
method of sorting students also places teachers responsible for judging 
the level of students in an uncomfortable and difficult situation, 
placing them de facto in an attitude of complicity with the government.

After this concise speech, despite the persistent rain and the slippery 
cobblestones, the demonstrators set off. As processions from the four 
corners of the department met in Montreuil, the number of participants 
increased to nearly 500 people, testifying to the strength and 
determination of the movement.

Reminiscences of the 1998 movement
This demonstration marks the culmination of a month of intense 
mobilization, marked by the apparent indifference of the Minister of 
Education, who minimizes the scale of the movement and ignores the 
legitimate demands of teaching staff.

In the department of Seine-Saint-Denis, the mobilization is reminiscent 
of the movement of 1998. Marked by the slogan "We want means, we are not 
less than nothing", it then resulted in significant results, including 
hiring of teachers and measures for schools in difficulty. We were 
talking about it here. Organized by a "Coordination of establishments on 
strike", it illustrated the power of unity in the fight for quality 
public education.

The mobilization this year began with the same slogan: the demand for an 
emergency plan for 93, called by the inter-union, requiring hiring, 
additional resources, the renovation of establishments and a capping of 
the number of students per class... Faced with an increasing 
deterioration in education, teachers decided not to return to school, 
launching strikes from February 26.

Establishment tours, meetings and general assemblies
To establish a solid and broader balance of power, this renewable strike 
was accompanied by a marching strike dynamic. Teachers took the 
initiative to meet their colleagues to convince them to join the 
struggle, organizing school tours, meetings and general assemblies. This 
mobilization also sought to actively involve parents and students, 
organizing leaflets in markets, neighborhood meetings and general 
assemblies open to all.

This alliance between teachers, parents and students marked a turning 
point in the fight for education. Exchanges with families revealed a 
deep political awareness, linking the problems encountered at school 
with broader social problems, such as the breakdown of the public 
hospital or the consequences of the Olympic Games on the city. This 
mobilization thus transcended the question of means to become a global 
political fight against the government's neoliberal attacks.

General assemblies played a central role in this mobilization, providing 
a space for discussion and deliberation on demands and strategies to 
adopt. This reappropriation of progressive methods of struggle, such as 
self-organization and alliance with the population, constitutes an 
important achievement for the current and future struggle. By uniting, 
students, parents and teachers show that they are ready to take on the 
challenge of defending quality public education, while tackling the 
broader social problems that affect the working classes.

"Moula, for the 9-3"
The demonstrations included the Solidaires, CGT and FSU unions, 
political organizations such as the PCF, the NPA, LFI, the UCL, and the 
parents' association FCPE. Among the slogans forcefully chanted during 
the demonstration: "Du fric, du fric, pour la public school", "Du pèze, 
du pèze, pour le 93", "De la moula, pour le 9-3" and "De la moula, pour 
le 9-3" and "Du pèze, du pèze, pour le 93," Attal, pack up your social 
plan." So many rallying cries expressing the rejection of austerity 
policies which directly impact education. This is because beyond this 
reform, the question of lack of resources is at the heart of concerns. 
Closed classrooms, teachers finding out their schedule the same morning, 
dilapidated premises... At Politzer College, technology rooms are 
flooded and in the music room, the piano now has its feet in the water...

On the Montreuil town hall square, at the end of the demonstration, to 
the tune of La Foule by Édith Piaf, a woman sings a song of protest 
while the purple fog from the smoke dissipates in the wind. Some 
demonstrators have tambourines, others clap their hands, and the sky is 
revealed.

Money for equitable and quality public education! Solidarity with 
students and teachers! Full support for the movement's demands!

Nasham (UCL Montreuil)

https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Le-93-se-souleve-contre-l-escroquerie-du-choc-des-savoirs
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