In recent months, numerous testimonies have reported worrying incidents in schools within the Wallonia-Brussels Federation: a Brussels primary school teacher struck by a pupil, a sharp rise in external appeals (over 20% in 2023 in secondary education) filed by parents against decisions made by teachers, history teachers who no longer dare to address topics such as the Holocaust, questioning of certain science lessons, undermining of female teachers' authority by pupils who reject gender equality, and so on. These are just some of the signs showing that the tacit “contract” between society and teachers has become somewhat strained, which alarmed the Minister of Education of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and prompted her to objectively assess the situation.
“Our policy declaration highlights the need to establish a structural policy to improve the school climate. This includes, in particular, a return to authority and respect for teachers in their classrooms. To achieve this, it was essential to rely on data and objective indicators regarding respect for teachers as a societal function. It had to be acknowledged that this work had never been carried out during previous legislatures. It is in this context that I felt it important to launch the Respect Barometer, with the aim of properly guiding future actions and building a more respectful working environment”, explains Valérie Glatigny.
Objectively assessing the situation
In order to objectively assess these various warning signs, a questionnaire was sent to 110,000 teachers last September. Around 10,000 of them responded. The survey aimed to measure the respect shown towards teachers and school management within the school environment, exploring various dimensions of respect such as the relationship with pupils, the relationship with families, the relationship with hierarchy, self-censorship and how the profession is valued. The data collected made it possible to identify strong trends, offering an overall picture of perceptions of respect in the education sector.
Some key indicators
Following analysis of the results by the administration, several key figures emerged: 78.6% of teachers feel “always” or “often” respected in their daily interactions with pupils, 95% of teachers have already faced a lack of respect from their pupils, with 39.4% experiencing this more than ten times in five years, 48.6% of teachers feel “always” or “often” respected by families, 67.1% believe their profession is undervalued by society and, finally, 62% of teachers report having self-censored over the past five years, meaning they hesitated to teach scientific or historical facts that are an integral part of the curricula.
Possible courses of action
“Several courses of action need to be considered to improve the situation, equip school management and support teachers in order to restore their authority and the respect linked to their societal roles” adds Valérie Glatigny.
In this regard, the following is being considered:
- reviewing the grading of sanctions in the Education Code to ensure an appropriate response to cases of disrespect,
- setting up an internal mediation system to help teachers facing disputes, in collaboration with school governing bodies, by identifying resource persons,
- defining self-censorship in all its aspects, including the weakest signals,
- training teachers on their pedagogical scope for action to resist pressure and intimidation that may lead to self-censorship,
- implementing prevention and awareness-raising initiatives for families regarding respect for staff members,
- strengthening the “protective” legal framework for school staff against all forms of violence they may face, following the example of the federal measure aimed at imposing stricter penalties for any verbal, psychological or physical violence against authority figures, such as teachers.
- or clarifying the concept of neutrality in the Education Code.
These are courses of action intended to prompt in-depth reflection, in consultation with education stakeholders, in order to restore authority and respect for teachers and re-establish a calmer atmosphere in our schools.