Enseignante dans la trentaine qui révise des offres d'emploi dans l'éducation à son bureau à domicile

Finding a Job in Education: Tips and Resources for Teachers

The start of the 2026 school year has highlighted a persistent paradox in teacher recruitment in France. The ministry announced an increase in positions filled through competitive exams, but a survey by SNES-FSU conducted among 1,033 institutions reveals that at least one teacher was still missing in 53% of the middle and high schools studied.

Mathematics, French, physics-chemistry, English: the subjects in demand have remained the same for several years. This gap between official figures and the reality in classrooms is the starting point for any job search in education.

Teacher Exam Reform: What the New Schedule Changes

The entry level for the profession has been lowered by the reform of the exams. The stated goal was to broaden the pool of potential candidates and fill more vacant positions.

The results are more mixed than expected. The simultaneous arrival of graduates from both the old and new systems has generated an unusual flow of trainees for the rectorates. Some graduates are on waiting lists, without assignments despite identified needs in the institutions.

For a candidate preparing for the national education exams, this situation requires checking the schedules academy by academy. Registration dates, exams, and assignment modalities vary from one territory to another. Those seeking employment assistance on Partir en Classe can find additional resources to guide their efforts according to their profile.

Teacher candidate shaking hands with a recruiter during a job interview at a school

Contract Teacher: A Status Weakened by the Reform

The influx of permanent trainees has had a direct effect on contract teachers. In several academies, teachers who have been in position for several years have not had their contracts renewed for the 2026 school year.

The mechanism is straightforward: a rectorate with enough exam graduates reduces its reliance on temporary contracts. This also applies to areas where shortages persist, even when the affected contract teachers were already familiar with the students and teaching teams.

Field reports vary on this point depending on the subjects and geographical areas. The vocational pathway and certain technical subjects continue to lack candidates, whether they are permanent or contract teachers. Scientific or industrial profiles remain particularly sought after in these fields.

Which Subjects Still Recruit Contract Teachers

  • Mathematics and physics-chemistry in deficit academies, particularly in rural areas and priority education zones, where the coverage rate by permanent teachers remains low
  • Technical and vocational subjects (mechanical engineering, maintenance, hospitality-catering), for which the pool of permanent teachers has been structurally insufficient for several sessions
  • Literature and English in certain academies in Île-de-France, where the arrival of new trainees does not fill all vacant positions

Targeting applications in these specific areas rather than applying broadly increases the chances of securing a position quickly.

Eliminated Positions and Education Budget: The Financial Framework

This budgetary compression comes at a time when the needs for replacements and support (AESH, educational assistants) remain strong. The key takeaway for a candidate is: the total number of positions open for competitive exams could contract in the upcoming sessions.

Peripheral education jobs follow a distinct recruitment logic. The PsyEN and CPE exams adhere to their own schedules. The positions of AESH, on the other hand, are governed by contracts managed directly at the academic level.

Group of teachers discussing job search strategies in a teachers' lounge

Recruitment Platforms in Education: Where to Look Specifically

The portal recrutement.education.gouv.fr centralizes public teaching competitive exams, whether external, internal, or third exams. The site devenirenseignant.gouv.fr complements this information by detailing access conditions and career prospects.

France Travail (formerly Pôle Emploi) also lists teaching and training offers through its dedicated category. Contract positions are occasionally listed there, but the majority of these recruitments go through the academic rectorate websites.

  • The CNED recruits for educational writing missions, remote support, and support functions (project management, IT), with up to three days of telecommuting per week
  • Local authorities recruit educational staff (after-school activity leaders, coordinators) through their own portals or the management centers of the local public service

Spontaneous Applications and Professional Network

In subjects in demand, a spontaneous application sent to a rectorate can yield results in a few days. School heads report their unmet needs directly to the rectorate, which then draws from a pool of candidates. Making oneself known early in this pool, with an updated CV and complete supporting documents, shortens the assignment timeline.

The professional network captures information that official platforms do not always relay. Teacher groups on social media, disciplinary associations, former colleagues from INSPE: these channels circulate reports of vacant positions, sometimes before their official publication.

The job search in national education is conducted on two simultaneous fronts: the exams for medium-term tenure and the contract pool for a quick entry. The 2026 reform has redistributed the balances between these two pathways. Monitoring academic announcements subject by subject remains, for now, the most reliable method.

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