Literacy in French should be introduced gradually rather than across the board, the National Syndicate for Teachers (SNE/CGFP) declared at its press conference for the start of the school year.
Schools, the union added, should also be free to decide whether to organise mixed or separate classes. The SNE regrets that no alternatives were properly explored in relation to the practice of teaching literacy to some children in German and others in French.
Other themes weighing on the union this school year include inclusion, staffing levels in Cycle 1, and the reform of pre-vocational education.
The SNE broadly welcomes the Education Minister's action plan on inclusion, though it is demanding greater school autonomy.
In Cycle 1, every class, both in early childhood education (précoce) and in pre-school, should be staffed by a teacher and an educator working side by side.
The union is also calling for the creation of a pool of substitute teachers for pre-vocational education, formerly known as the "Modulaire" track, along the lines of the system already in place in primary schools, so that teacher absences can be covered.
