Like St-André-de-Roquelongue, parents of students are stepping up to the plate in the face of the lack of carers for children with disabilities. It seems difficult indeed to recruit enough AESH to meet the needs of the schools.
The recruitment of carers for children with disabilities (AESH) seems to be a problem in the schools of the department. Several examples attest to this, such as in Saint-André-de-Roquelongue where Allisone Cougnoux, mother of a child with a disability, took the bull by the horns.
It thus sent by mail with acknowledgment of receipt, on March 12, a formal notice from the director of the departmental services of National Education (DSDEN). “I remember youshe writes, that my child benefits from a decision of the Commission for the Rights and Autonomy of Persons with Disabilities (CDAPH) of the Departmental House for Persons with Disabilities (MDPH) for the intervention of an individual AESH within the framework of his schooling at Saint-André-de-Roquelongue primary school, for 20 hours per week. The notification of the CDAPH’s decision was sent to your services on February 9, 2023. However, despite this decision, my child still does not benefit from this support. This is therefore a serious violation of the principle of the right to education. Under these conditions, I am forced to give you formal notice to execute the decision to grant an AESH for a period of 20 hours per week notified on February 9, 2023.
“We are told that recruitment is in progress”
The fact remains that more than a month later, the student is only accompanied for four hours a week. “I am told that recruitment is in progress”explains the mother, disappointed by this situation. “National education wants to create an inclusive school for all but does not care much about the academic success of children with disabilities and the repercussions on all students and teachers”, she laments. In the meantime, in Saint-André, according to Allisone Cougnoux, who finds it a pity to have to bring the case to court, nearly 40 hours are to be filled on the whole school, a “trifle”. And this does not seem to be confined to the Saint-Andrean school alone.
“We try to be as responsive as possible”
Frédéric Poirier, secretary general of DSDEN 11, and Nadège Sedes, academic inspector in charge of inclusive schools in Aude, recognize that the families’ request is legitimate, but deplore a situational situation: “More than 3,000 students, from kindergarten to high school, are recognized as disabled in Aude and 50% benefit from an AESH. More than 1,500 situations, this represents a significant volume. There may be absences at the margin. More than 98% of support is covered. The main difficulty is that between the date of notification and implementation, there is always a time lag. We are in a management of resources classic human resources and there is an incompressible time for the administrative recruitment procedure. Either we have ASEH available and all we have to do is readjust our schedule, or we have to recruit. Since September 1 , we have thus recruited more than 100 AESH. For these recruitments, you have to juggle with administrative time, but also with possible work stoppages or resignations. Not to mention that it can sometimes be difficult to recruit in the remote areas. In any case, you have to find the right person in the right place and that can take time, even if we try to be as reactive as possible”.
