Urgent: research men or women who like to teach

This year again, despite an overall decrease since 2016 of the number of positions to be filled, the teacher profession has not refueled.Thus, 1,167 positions were offered at the external mathematics capes, but only 1,067 candidates were admitted.In German, 66 of the 222 places were not provided.

However, historically, when the unemployment increased, the public service constituted a refuge and the candidates flocked.

"It is less verified today, this number seems less sensitive to the cyclical effects of the job market", nuance Pierre Périer, professor in educational sciences at Rennes 2 University.

Primary education: local difficulties

Primary side and competition for school teachers, some territories suffer.In 2020, in the Créteil Academy, 1,557 candidates presented themselves to the writings for ... 1,520 places.Finally, 1,082 were admitted.In Versailles, the same year, the deficit of school teachers was 343.

But the concern is overflowing today the only academies in chronic deficit.Elsewhere, the present/post candidates ratio fell: 2.4 in Amiens, 2.3 in Paris, 2.2 in Dijon… (against respectively 5.3, 4.8 and 5.5 in 2010).A situation that makes many education players fear a decrease in competition requirements.Other academies such as Bordeaux, Toulouse, Nantes or Montpellier, in contrast, do not know the crisis.

Author of the report "The profession of teaching in France: a decline attractiveness" of the Jean-Jaurès Foundation, economist Mélina Hillion sees in the recruitment reform of 2011 a first explanation for this drop.Since then, the license is no longer enough: it is imperative to obtain a master's degree to exercise as a holder in primary or secondary.

In this sense, the reform of the initial training moving the Capes competition from the end of the Master 1 at the end of the Master 2 and delays the tenure does not announce anything good for the next few years (it will be to read in the next episodeof this series).

Secondary: Yo-yo of attractiveness

However, for Pierre Périer, the decline in the attractiveness of this profession is older.

There was a clarity under the mandate of François Hollande: the significant increase in the number of positions offered to the competitions had sent a positive signal which had mechanically converted into an increase in the number of candidates, even if, all, allThe posts had not been filled.

Since the arrival of Emmanuel Macron and his Minister of National Education, Jean-Michel Blanquer, the number of positions offered in the competition has dropped sharply, passing for example for the external capes from 7,315 in 2017 to 5,490 in2020 (in the past two years, the Minister has once again increased teachers' places for primary, in particular as a result of class duplications).And the fall in the number of candidates for competitions has taken over.

Beyond wages

To explain this more sustainable trend, unions are advancing the weakest wages in Europe.The attractiveness bonus implemented this year following the Grenelle de l'Education and which will be revalued in 2022 should not radically change the situation."This is not what will push students to ultimately turn to the teaching profession," said Guislaine David, of the Snuipp.

In fact, if the salary was also essential, we would hardly understand the differences in recruitment between academies or between disciplines.Working conditions, unequal according to the territories, also play against the profession.Financial incentives in the form of compensation have been put in place in priority education establishments, but they do not allow you to stop the fall

The lack of outlets also slows down the ardor of the students."There is a phenomenon of career anticipation.We imagine less being a teacher all life.However, the potential candidates, seeing the few alternatives and prospects in this career, tell themselves that they may not embark on this profession and reflect on something else, "explains Pierre Périer.

Especially since the training supply has been considerably diversified and there are more opportunities for students."We can be surprised, for example, that Anglicists turn away from the profession when a few years ago, teaching was one of the main outlets for them.But today, English is a desired competence and new perspectives are opening up to graduates, "added the researcher.This is true for English, but also now for many other disciplines.