In recent years, France has emerged as one of the most active countries in terms of new reasons for and new techniques of civil disobedience. The latest example is the movement by some French teachers to refuse to conform to the most recent reforms implemented by the Sarkozy government. The reforms among other things anticipate that teachers will have to provide extra hours each week for remedial work with failing students. They are criticized for constituting a pedagogical regression that emphasizes quantifiable results, rather than any deeper knowledge. The disobeyers, several of which have already been sanctioned for their acts, see this as a challenge to the traditional French schooling model, away from the idea that education should be the same for all. They therefore typically see the reforms as against their conscience. Moreover, they are upset by the fact that the reforms are supposedly implemented top-down, with little consultation, and that they challenge teachers' right to strike. The defiance is open and manifested through letters written to the Ministry of education anouncing that they will not comply with instructions (close to 3, 000 are said to have made such declarations). Some continue to teach the old 2002 syllabus, and others teach arts or theatre during the time slots normally allotted for individualized assistance to students with difficulties. This is part of a more general attitude of occasional defiance by teachers in France, which has often been very creative in avoiding norms that were felt as abusive ("Nous contournerons les textes officiels, nous les interpréterons à notre convenance, nous leur ferons dire ce qu'ils ne disent pas"). Their acts have already been described as "désobéissance pédagogique."
The authors of such protests have been sanctioned for disobedience and inciting disobedience, as well as violations of confidentiality. But they have also received support from teachers union (short of endorsement) and, perhaps characteristically for France, by prominent members of the French resistance under Nazi occupation (the example of the very succesful civil disobedience by Norwegian teachers in 1942 is also invoked, many of whom were sent to forced labor camps), who have pointed out that sometimes authority should be disobeyed. Interestingly here, civil disobedience is being used to prevent change rather than to bring it about, although the teachers' conservatism is one dedicated to maintaining advances that they see as much more progressive than what the government would replace them with.
The authors of such protests have been sanctioned for disobedience and inciting disobedience, as well as violations of confidentiality. But they have also received support from teachers union (short of endorsement) and, perhaps characteristically for France, by prominent members of the French resistance under Nazi occupation (the example of the very succesful civil disobedience by Norwegian teachers in 1942 is also invoked, many of whom were sent to forced labor camps), who have pointed out that sometimes authority should be disobeyed. Interestingly here, civil disobedience is being used to prevent change rather than to bring it about, although the teachers' conservatism is one dedicated to maintaining advances that they see as much more progressive than what the government would replace them with.
No comments:
Post a Comment