Publish at November 11 2014 Updated January 11 2023
From the Surgé (general supervisor) to the CPE (principal education counselors) through the assistant of education (ASEN) and assistants of school life (AVS) in France, the role of "supervisor" in school has been transformed and has not finished its metamorphosis. In Quebec and other countries, the role has not been as formalized but is undergoing the same changes. In France, the legislator "has clearly entrusted "educational responsibilities" (organization and animation of school life, monitoring, orientation, evaluation of students ...) to the CPE. In Quebec, the definition of duties covers both aspects: discipline and education, and it is in the Civil Code that these responsibilities are defined, tacitly delegated by the parents.
But beyond the regulatory situation, which is always behind the times, today's school context resembles less and less the one that saw the creation of "supervisors".
The electronic supervisor
Each surveillance camera, identification system and other control processes at school, in principle, diminish the need for the traditional "supervisor" whose role migrates on the one hand to the "security guard" who will respond to alerts and on the other to that, In principle, the need for the traditional "supervisor" is diminishing, whose role is migrating on the one hand to the "security guard" who will respond to alerts and on the other hand to the more educational role of accompanier, advisor, controller, helper, support, reference, guide, facilitator and all those more or less defined functions that have a little less to do with discipline and more to do with social or pedagogical intervention. In principle.
In reality, reading the comments about supervisors in schools on blogs where the subject is discussed and in Twitter (#supervisor) the disciplinary aspect still seems very present: control of dress, control of attendance, control of cell phone possession, etc.. In addition to being dad or mom by proxy, referee, target for all the hits against "the institution" and even responsible for programs like bullying prevention or suicide prevention, the question of the supervisor's moral authority arises with even more acuity than before: is he or she competent? Often those who accept this thankless, underpaid, and discredited role are far from professionally prepared for it.
Add the problems of technology use such as cyber-bullying, sexting, happy slapping, and other teenage slip-ups, the job of the "proctor" goes beyond the disciplinary sphere and becomes one of moral conduct. The task is definitely not a relaxing one.
Electronic monitoring does not bring much in the way of education and it is precisely the human function that is at the heart of the practice: communicating, enforcing rules, applying procedures and sanctions, intervening. The role is akin to oil in a mechanism; a good supervisor-animator makes the activity flow, facilitates relationships, improves the atmosphere, intervenes before problems worsen, and provides instruction in group living.
Training?
Who holds the position? Mostly recent students with a high school diploma or the equivalent of the Bac in France. They have experienced the role of the supervisor on the student side, those who feel the strength and guts will replicate it on the authority side.
A good school to prepare for the teaching profession? Nothing is less sure, especially since no specific training is offered, the supervision is minimal as is the salary. He expects no real support from the unions and no support group is properly identified; the turnover rate is high and even institutionalized in some jurisdictions (maximum 6 years) and there is no incentive for anyone to enter the profession.
So there is a need, at a minimum, for basic online training and a support and reference site/group, if only to explain the basics of the profession, responsibilities and possible remedies. The role is bound to grow; who will take care of enhancing it?
Illustration: Jatuphol- ShutterStock
References
Authority and Supervisors - Stéphane Auger - Cahiers pédagogiques - No. 415 - Dossier "Is there such a thing as school life?" - 2011
http://www.cahiers-pedagogiques.com/L-autorite-et-les-surveillants
The responsibility of educators, guards and supervisors - Educaloi
http://www.educaloi.qc.ca/capsules/la-responsabilite-des-educateurs-des-gardiens-et-des-surveillants
From the general supervisor to the principal education advisor: the evolution of an educational function between tensions and dynamisms. Deconstruction of a myth. - Christine Focquenoy - LIRDEF - 2013
http://www.aref2013.univ-montp2.fr/cod6/?q=content/064-du-surveillant-g%C3%A9n%C3%A9ral-au-conseiller-principal-d%E2%80%99%C3%A9ducation-l%E2%80%99%C3%A9volution-d%E2%80%99une-fonction--0
Supervisor - Job description - KelFormation
http://www.kelformation.com/fiches-metiers/surveillant-surveillante.php
Can video cameras replace supervisors? - Elodie Lestonat - Thot Cursus - 2014
http://cursus.edu/dossiers-articles/articles/24496/
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