French Education Minister sparks controversy over reasons for sending children to private schools

French Education Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera (Photo: AFP).

Just days after being appointed as France's Minister of Education, Amelie Oudea-Castera faced calls to resign after she transferred her son to a private school, saying she was "frustrated by the lack of teachers and the high number of absenteeism in public schools."

However, Florence, her son's former teacher, disputed this idea. The retired teacher claimed that she had never left a class without a substitute teacher. In addition, the real reason Castera and her husband transferred their son to another school in 2009 was because the school refused to allow him to move up a year early.

Journalist Nicolas Poincare, whose son attended the same public school, also spoke out in support of the former teacher. "In the last eight years, I have never seen a teacher skip a class without a substitute," Poincare told French television.

Several officials from education unions on January 15 demanded a public apology from Minister Castera. Rodrigo Arenas, a lawmaker from the far-left La France Insoumise (LFI) party, wrote on social media: "If the minister really lied, she cannot assume the position of head of the education sector."

Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron appointed Oudea Castera as the new Minister of Education, in addition to her previous position as Minister of Sports . In addition, President Macron also appointed the youngest Prime Minister in French history, 34-year-old Gabriel Attal.

These are all moves in Macron’s difficult second term as he attempts to reshuffle his cabinet. If the problems surrounding the public-private school issue, which is a major headache for the French education sector, are not resolved, this could be the first crisis for the new cabinet.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/bo-truong-giao-duc-phap-gay-tranh-cai-vi-ly-do-cho-con-hoc-truong-tu-20240116152955352.htm