AESH workers alert to precarious conditions for disabled students

Companions for Students with Disabilities (AESH) in France are raising alarms regarding increasingly precarious working conditions. Despite a national strike affecting the Education Ministry, many AESH workers remained at their posts to avoid leaving students with disabilities without support.

Workers report significant physical and emotional strain, including dealing with violent outbursts from students with severe autism, such as biting, scratching, and being struck. They also face heavy hygiene responsibilities, including changing diapers and providing showers, often without formal training in ergonomics, hygiene, or first aid.

Testimonies suggest a systemic issue where students who require specialized medical-educational institutes (IME) are instead placed in regular schools due to a lack of available specialized places. This lack of resources forces staff to rely on “permanent makeshift solutions,” where the absence of a single worker can disrupt the entire support structure for multiple students.