Departmental delegates of National Education at a general assembly in Bagnols-sur-Cèze

Saturday, December 2, the Albert-Einstein high school in Bagnols-sur-Cèze hosted the general assembly of departmental delegates of National Education (DDEN). This very old institution (created in 1886) plays a role of mediation and coordination between teachers, parents, municipalities, academic services in public schools.

“The DDENs are all volunteers, a small half being former teachers but all are passionate about secular public schools” explains Didier Bucchi, president of the Gard union. He does not hide his joy at finally finding his colleagues with whom he usually chats by email and whom he had not seen since 2019 (the 2020, 2021, 2022 AGMs having been canceled).

62 active delegates visit 210 schools in the Gard department

With a workforce of 62 active people, the DDENs visit 210 schools in the department. “After a difficult period, the association is reborn from its ashes”, explains the president “but it is a permanent struggle against institutions which sometimes seek to oust them”.

During this general assembly, the office wished to reward and support Marc Mayen, DDEN in the Bagnolais district since 1998, a former professor and son of a schoolteacher who refused to have his students sing “Maréchal, nous voilà” (Marshal, we are here).

Marc Mayen is the only DDEN to have had a request for dismissal from a mayor. This request, which went through the rectorate and the prefecture, is currently in the hands of the ministry.