This is an extremely rare decision for a rector, the one of Paris being considered one of the highest executives in national education. Against a backdrop of failure of his project to reform preparatory classes in the capital intended to introduce more social diversity, the rector of Paris, Christophe Kerrero, announced on Friday February 2 that he was leaving his position in a letter to the staff of the academy. Former chief of staff to Jean-Michel Blanquer, he has held this position since July 2020.

This announcement comes after the suspension on Wednesday by the Ministry of Education of a project by the rectorate aimed at closing several preparatory classes for the start of the 2024 school year and opening three others with a “more social” vocation, including one at the Henri-IV high school. for future school teachers and two for professional high school students.

“Today I am leaving my position as rector of the Paris academy, when our school is in the grip of doubt and the situation nevertheless requires mobilization of each of its actors,” writes Mr. Kerrero in his letter to the staff of the academy.

According to a source close to the rectorate, “Mr. Kerrero could not continue to carry the school card after Minister Oudéa-Castéra disavowed him without warning him in a body which is the higher council of education”.

The announcement comes at a time when speculation is still rife about Amélie Oudéa-Castéra remaining in her post, a few days before new appointments to complete the government and after a series of controversies targeting the new Minister of National Education , author of controversial statements on public schools. Questioned Friday morning on TF1, before Mr. Kerrero’s announcement, the minister assured that she was not “thinking of resigning”.

She then “took note” of the rector’s “resignation” in a message on X in which she saluted “his exemplary career and his commitment to social diversity”. “We will continue, as I have committed to doing, all the projects that he has initiated in favor of equal opportunities,” writes the minister.

“Weakening literary careers”

In a message sent to the press, Ms. Oudéa-Castéra’s entourage announced that “the minister takes note of her decision and thanks Christophe Kerrero for his recognized action and commitment in favor of national education.” “All measures to support students in terms of promotion and social diversity taken by the rector of Paris are supported and financed. They will all be carried out,” according to the same source.

“The Paris rectorate had considered three class closures to finance these initiatives. The minister assumes her choice to launch a moratorium on these closures, and thus to support even more strongly the social project of the rectorate and the existing offer,” we added.

The rectorate had decided to close three preparatory classes for the grandes écoles: a prep for business schools (ECG prep) at the Jacques-Decour high school, in the 9th arrondissement, a first year literary class (hypokâgne) at the Lamartine high school (9th) and a second year literary student (khâgne) at Chaptal high school (8th grade). The announcement of these closures had mobilized teachers and students in recent weeks, with a petition “against the weakening of literary pathways”.

“For the minister to decide on the subject of the national map of prep classes, that is part of her prerogatives, but it could have been done differently,” reacted to AFP Sophie Vénétitay, general secretary of Snes-FSU for middle and high schools. Jean-Rémi Girard, from Snalc, confirms: “We wanted there to be no closure of these prep classes, but I am certain that budgetary margins were possible to find to open those proposed by Mr. Kerrero, who in addition they turned to professional high school students. »