Teacher Unionism in France: Making Fundamental Reform an Impossible Quest?

Abstract

Introduction This chapter examines teacher unionism in France. Contrary to most other cases highlighted in this book, France stands out with its highly centralized education system (Cole 2001) and longstanding (but never fully realized) attachment to the principle of educational egalitarianism (Baudelot and Establet 2009; Dobbins and Martens 2012). By exploring the structural foundations of French teacher unions and their strategies vis-à-vis the state, this chapter shows how teacher unionism has stymied government reform proposals time and time again. Through concerted action and the exploitation of their internal differences, teachers unions have played a crucial role in upholding central pillars of French secondary education such as low institutional autonomy, centralization, and high expenditure. Thus, French teacher unionism presents a fascinating case for analysts of interest group power. I first discuss the historical rise of teacher unionism in France, before addressing the striking diversity of the teacher union landscape. The bulk of the analysis focuses on how teachers unions interact not only with the state bureaucracy, but also with each other, labour unions and other educational stakeholders. I also elaborate on the strategies of French teachers unions in public sector strikes, which have served to frustrate government reform efforts for decades. As shown below, French teachers unions have applied inward pressure, i.e. through educational “co-management” within the ministerial bureaucracy; and outward pressure, i.e. through concerted strikes, to assert their vested interests. Altogether, the analysis shows that educational policy-making distinguishes itself substantially from other policy areas in France, in which policy-making tends to be of a more hierarchical nature. Historical Development Teacher unions emerged simultaneously with the construction of the centralized school system during the Third Republic (1870–1940) (Ambler 1985: 28), thus earlier than many other countries discussed in this book. The strong centralization of education essentially was the result of a power struggle between the central government and religious interests at the local level, a struggle in which the central government asserted itself. The argument prevailed that a centralized school system would ensure nationwide equality and fend off local religious influences and “territorial solidarities” (Ambler 1994; Cole 2001; Lelièvre 2000: 8).

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