Surprise guest of the Borne government in 2022, Pap Ndiaye, first black Minister of National Education, will never have succeeded in going beyond the status of a symbol. He therefore gave up his post 14 months after his arrival to Gabriel Attal. Classified on the left, reputed to be a man of listening, reflection and dialogue, Pap Ndiaye promised a break in tone compared to his predecessor Jean-Michel Blanquer, who had alienated a large part of the teaching world after five years rue de Grenelle.
Alas, the appointment of this 57-year-old academic, specialist in the social history of the United States and minorities, sounded like yet another political coup by Emmanuel Macron and will not have made it possible to strengthen ties with a Republic of teachers in disinheritance. Blame it on a lot of inexperience and an omnipresent and omnipotent head of state over the school. “It was written in advance. It would have been miraculous for him to succeed in politics. He was not made for this. That he does not succeed, those responsible are those who appointed him. Not him ! “Summarizes a former minister.
Not supported by other ministers
Regularly targeted by little murderous phrases from the heart of Macronie, Pap Ndiaye is leaving after having suffered a violent controversy fueled by the rights after his remarks targeting the media branch of the Bolloré group, in particular CNews which he qualified, mid-July, as an “extreme right” channel. If part of the left was offended, the minister could only see the weakness of his support in his own camp. Until Macron concedes to defend it in the name of “freedom of expression”, four days after these remarks.
About this academic targeted by wokism trials led by the right and the extreme right, a minister comments: “He is not into twisted things. But he did not succeed in departing from the image of chief wokist, whereas objectively he did nothing to accredit the thesis”. “Should we play the buzz game every day, clash someone, a political adversary by being as cruel as possible, with overplayed controversies?…. It’s a game that I have spotted but which does not interest me at all, ”confided Pap Ndiaye last winter to AFP.
The unfinished dream of school co-education
Rue de Grenelle, Pap Ndiaye wanted to highlight debates little mentioned by Jean-Michel Blanquer, such as social diversity, or tried a different approach to secularism. However, if the form has changed, the substance remains the same, criticize the teachers’ unions who consider that the only decision-maker in educational matters is at the Elysée. Pap Ndiaye’s roadmap appears to be largely dictated by Emmanuel Macron, who leaves him little room, reserving the primacy of all major announcements, for example on the salary increase for teachers in April.
So many snakes to swallow for a minister who also had to cut back on his plan on social and educational diversity. After months of waiting, he was finally content in May to give general objectives to the rectors, suggesting a lack of political support. But Pap Ndiaye had swept aside the criticism, satisfied on the contrary to have “won all his financial arbitrations”.
Far from the riots
With good reason, the school education budget will remain by far the largest in the State at 64.2 billion euros in 2024 (+3.9% compared to 2023). The translation in particular of an unconditional revaluation of teacher remuneration coupled with the “pact” which provides for an increase in remuneration this time conditional on new missions, a “pact” which turns out to be complicated in its setting due to the hostility of the unions.
In his assessment, faced with the major challenge posed by the crisis in the recruitment of teachers, Pap Ndiaye launched the construction site of competitions in the first degree reduced to bac + 3 against bac + 5 currently. But the Minister misses the emotion aroused by the suicide of the young Lindsay in the North, harassed – the family accuses him of lacking “sincerity” -, while the subject is close to his heart personally. At the beginning of July, the riots raise important educational and discrimination issues. But Pap Ndiaye, who had in the past, as a historian, affirmed that it was necessary to assume the “notion of police violence”, remained in the background. Once again.