AESH Workers Protest Nationwide Over Low Pay and Job Insecurity

Accompanying students with disabilities, AESH employees demand better salaries, training, and recognition within the French education system.

Hundreds of AESH (accompanyants d'élèves en situation de handicap) workers staged protests across France, citing low wages, precarious contracts, and insufficient job protections.
Most AESH employees work part-time, earning around €900–€1,200 per month, which many say is inadequate to cover basic living expenses.
Workers highlighted a lack of training to handle diverse and complex disabilities, leaving them unprepared for challenging situations in classrooms.
The number of students with disabilities in mainstream schools has tripled since 2006, straining AESH resources and increasing workloads without corresponding pay increases.
The French government has promised 2,000 additional AESH positions and discussions on career development, but workers are demanding a formalized status and higher pay.