After the request for the closure of the establishment by the Minister of National Education Nicole Belloubet, the decision was made.
The prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes ordered this Thursday the administrative closure of the Avicenne college in Nice, a private Muslim educational establishment outside of a contract.
At issue: “opaque financing and obvious financial irregularities”.
In a press release, the prefecture assures that several letters have been sent to the establishment since 2022, asking it to “make known the financial resources” of the establishment, as required by the law on separatism of 2021. But those responsible for the establishment did not respond to requests, wrote the prefecture, denouncing “numerous inadequacies and serious failings”.
She reports, among other things, "suspicious loans granted to the establishment" amounting to 476,350 euros, but also "suspicious donations" not provided for in the school's statutes: 12,000 euros in cash paid in three installments 2021 “without any identification”.
Consequently, “the administration cannot ensure the conformity of these financial statements, which are opaque, that is to say without the possibility of determining the origin and destination of the funds”.
Closure planned for the end of the school year
The rector of the Nice academy, Natacha Chicot, emphasized at the end of February that “from October 2022” “the supporting documents provided for by law” had been requested from the establishment.
“Since that date, despite our reminders, the establishment has not been able to justify a very large part of the funding received during the years 2021-2022,” she declared.
“At this stage there have never been any alerts about possible recruitment or a situation of radicalization in this establishment,” said the rector.
At the same time, the public prosecutor was contacted in December regarding the irregularities noted.
The college management refuted the accusations, ensuring that the establishment is “monitored by an accountant and has kept its accounts up to date with the tax administration since its opening in 2015”.
The closure of the establishment will not be immediate, it must take place at the end of the 2023-2024 school year, “in order not to penalize the students”, writes the prefecture.
This college, opened in 2015, welcomes 99 students divided into four classes from 6th to 3rd, specifies the prefecture, which ensures that the rectorate will contact the families of the students to support them in the change of establishment from next school year.