Octave: At Paul-Emilie Victor College, we are looking for an English teacher

At other times, the case would have seemed completely implausible. But you have to believe you get used to everything, including the long absence of teachers in French colleges and high schools. At least here is a relatively new situation, which reflects the dissatisfaction of young graduates with the teaching profession and the need to find solutions and fill the gaps with contract teachers. And, it doesn’t always work.

“My son is also taking English lessons at the same time,” says a mother

This is what has been happening since the start of the school year at Paul-Emile Victor College in Agde. In the absence of a teacher, several classes of English subjects have been lost since September. “A substitute Ukrainian teacher came for a week, but he left”, regrets the mother of a 4th grader, who finds it difficult to accept this situation, to his credit, refuses to give up. “I’m lucky. I can pay for my son’s English lessons at once, but it’s still crazy to have to come to this. I’ve called the college administration many times, but nothing.”

A resolution is expected in January

Contacted a week ago, the company management has yet to respond to our interview request as of this Tuesday afternoon, as we write these lines. “I had the Chief Education Counselor (CPE) today and he told me that no one has been found for the post yet,” laments the mother, while other parents, like parents of selected students, are not aware of the situation. To disturb many, irony! “The problem is that all these children will be taken in English,” he adds. We hope to have a solution at least in time for the start of the academic year in January.