Status of leadership staff seconded from the French National Education system

The status of staff seconded from the French National Education system

What is a secondment (détachement)?

Secondment allows a French National Education civil servant to carry out their duties in an AFLEC school while retaining their rights to career advancement in their original corps and to a civil service pension. At the end of their assignment, secondment guarantees the civil servant reinstatement within the French National Education system.

​Administrative rules

Staff seconded to an AFLEC school carry out their duties within that school, which manages and pays them.

For the duration of the secondment, they are subject to the rules of the AFLEC school to which they are assigned. A contract sets out the main rules: remuneration, appraisal, leave entitlement, etc.

Duration

Secondment is granted for a period of three years. It may, however, be renewed for a further period of three years in the same school.

The secondment may be terminated by the administration, by the employing body or by the teacher. In the event of termination during the contract, the seconded staff member must apply for reinstatement within the French National Education system.

Pension

The contributions owed by the seconded civil servant are paid monthly by the civil servant to the Treasury. Decree no. 2007-1796 of 19 December 2007.

Although the secondment of a civil servant to a body located in the territory of a foreign state does not necessarily entail membership, for the duration of the secondment, of the special State civil and military pension scheme, all staff seconded to an AFLEC school are required to be members of it.

Social security entitlements

Membership of the Caisse des Français à l’étranger (CFE) is required for staff seconded to an AFLEC school.

​How do you return to your original corps?

At the end of the secondment, you must submit a request for reinstatement.

Applying for secondment as leadership staff

Important: Please consult the service memorandum (note de service) published in the Bulletin Officiel: view the Service Memorandum

Line manager’s opinion and forwarding

The complete application file, in paper format, duly completed and accompanied by supporting documents, is forwarded (two copies for leadership staff) to the direct line manager for information, a detailed opinion and onward transmission. Staff on leave of absence or parental leave send their file to the regional education services on which they depended at the time of their last assignment. Staff working abroad send their file to the cultural service of the relevant French Embassy. The cultural service gives a detailed opinion on the appropriate document and forwards it to the Aflec recruitment office.

Each line manager writes a detailed opinion highlighting the candidate’s adaptability, interpersonal skills, communication skills, and management and leadership abilities. Particular importance is attached to the ability to grasp issues in a demanding partnership context. The page containing the line managers’ opinions must be attached to all copies of the file (it may be photocopied). For leadership staff, the report of the professional appraisal interview must also be attached to the file. The two complete files must be sent by post no later than 4 October 2019. One copy is sent to the DGRH and one copy to AFLEC.

​Recruitment Committee

Meetings of the AFLEC Recruitment Committee draw up the list of potential candidates on the basis of a review of the application files and the various opinions expressed. These candidates are then invited to an interview, which takes place either at AFLEC’s Paris head office or by videoconference. During the interview, and depending on the requirements of the post to be filled, the candidate may be asked to take a foreign language test.

Representatives of the General Inspectorate of National Education (Inspection générale de l’Education nationale) and of the DGRH of the Ministry of National Education (MEN) generally take part in the selection interviews. Staff selected following the interviews are individually notified by AFLEC of a proposed assignment. For successful candidates, the job offer must be approved by the school’s Management Committee.

​Secondment procedures

The selected candidate then receives a copy of their employment contract. Once this has been approved and signed by the candidate, the paper file, which includes the secondment request, is sent to AFLEC’s head office, which initiates the procedures with the DGRH of the Ministry of National Education.