Amélie Oudéa-Castéra may have promoted private schooling outside the contract against the advice of the National Education Services.

A new file added to Amelie Oude-Castera’s well-stocked suitcase. According to mediapart information published on Wednesday evening, the new education minister promoted the private school outside the contract when he was the sports minister. Going so far as to strongly support the establishment’s request to enter into an agreement with the state.

In the summer of 2023, the Diagonal educational structure (based in 4 academies, including Paris), offers customized courses worth 4,900 to 6,000 euros per year to young athletes who wish to come under state control. Amélie Oudéa-Castéra is personally pushing for this, while the highest national education services are opposing it. And for good reason, this maneuver would shift the higher burden of teacher remuneration to the state. The Paris Academy in particular, where several positions were eliminated this year, will be particularly concerned.

Possible contractualization that questions

“The specificity of Diagonel’s educational offer (shorter teaching hours than required programs) and the layoff plan in public and private education under the agreement in Paris also do not allow Diagonel classes to be contracted, due to demographic decline,” two senior ministry officials confirmed to investigative media. They clarify that the processing of these requests usually takes place in February-March, and therefore “hasn’t started yet”.

Asked by Mediapart on these questions, Amélie Aude-Castera answered through its communications manager. “(The) school welcomes a certain number of high-level athletes, it is normal that this issue can be discussed (…), as well as dozens of others were brought to the attention of (the minister)”. So she does not comment on her support for Diagonal’s contractualization.

In its investigation, Mediapart also mentions the relationship between Amelie Ouede-Castera and Diagonal director Michel Neniche, although without specifying it. The latter has long argued for the creation of a derogatory status for Diagonal (and not for a direct contract) because the school finds itself undermined by the new continuous assessment system (which now represents 40% of the final grade for public and private students under the contract). ) during the “Blanker Back” reform, which did not benefit his students.

Michel Neniche will also be received in person by Emmanuel Macron, in February 2022, to support his request. Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, when she succeeds Roxana Marasina in the Ministry of Sports in May 2022, immediately pushes for the establishment of this special regime. Pape Ndiaye, who was then stationed at Rue de Grenelle, for his part flatly rejected the request, which he confirmed to Mediapart. After Ndiaye’s departure, Michel Naniche was also welcomed by Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, when the latter was Minister of Education. Attal did not respond to MediaPart’s requests regarding the establishment agreement.

Appointed on January 11 to head the super-ministry that brings together National Education, Youth, Sports and the Olympic Games, Amelie Ouedt-Castera has since come under fire, particularly over her children’s schooling in Parisian private. School Stanislaus and Littre Public School and their declarations regarding its “hours packages have not changed seriously”.