Primary education inspection is structured into fifteen primary education directorates (directions de l'enseignement fondamental), managed by teams comprising one director and two to four deputy directors. They oversee the management and pedagogical supervision of schools – but also the coordination for the supervision of pupils with specific needs.
The primary education directorates are based throughout the country according to a division that takes into account the number of pupils, the number of teachers, schools, municipalities, distances between schools…
Located at the regional level, directorates are better suited to allocate educational resources and staff in line with the needs of the schools and the local population. This regional structure also promotes a better exchange of experiences and information between schools with the aim of improving the development of the quality of education.
Within the primary education directorate, the deputy director is responsible for the care of pupils with special needs and for the inclusion committee (commission d’inclusion). The support team for pupils with specific needs (ESEB) are also managed by the directorates.
A mediation unit, which may be seized by a member of the teaching or educational staff in case of a conflict situation in relation with the director of directorates will be created.
The missions of the primary education directorates
More in detail, the primary education directorates (directions de l’enseignement fondamental) oversee:
- the administrative management and pedagogical supervision of the schools in their region ;
- the consultation and support of professionals ;
- the professional integration of young teachers and educators ;
- the management of the relations between the teaching staff within the schools and the relations in the school-pupil and school-parent fields
After consultation with the presidents of the school committees, the primary education directorates
- organise school inclusion measures ;
- follow the implementation of the school development plan (PDS – plan de développement de l'établissement scolaire)
- determine professional development priorities of the actors in order to establish effective and trusting collaboration between schools and education and care structures of the non-formal sector.