A principle less and less respected?
The Minister of Education Nicole Belloubet judged this Friday on franceinfo that the increase in attacks on secularism linked to contesting the content of certain teachings was “worrying” and “not acceptable”.
However, she added that attacks linked to the wearing of signs and outfits ostensibly demonstrating affiliation with a religion have decreased.
Asked about the evolution of reports of attacks on secularism in schools, the minister stressed that certain figures had “increased”: “What we are seeing, which is also worrying and which is not acceptable , it is the contestation of the content of certain teachings, whether they are teachings linked to questions of the origins of the world, questions on the teaching of religion,” she said.
Attacks on secularism: "We will support teachers", assures Nicole Belloubet, Minister of National Education pic.twitter.com/mPyKyZHZ6h
— franceinfo (@franceinfo) March 15, 2024
“It is unthinkable that our teachers will be challenged”
On this Friday marking the 20th anniversary of the 2004 law banning religious symbols in schools, Nicole Belloubet assured that the ministry would be “in support of teachers”.
“It is unthinkable that science is not respected in what it tells us on specific points.
It is unthinkable that our teachers will be challenged.
We will be at their side,” she added.
Over the months of December, January and February, challenges to the content of certain lessons represent respectively 19%, 12% and 16% of the violations recorded.
Over the previous three months (September to November), they represented 4%, 9% and 16% respectively.
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On the other hand, the number of attacks on secularism resulting from the wearing of signs and outfits ostensibly manifesting belonging to a religion “has fallen”, according to the ministry.
In December, January and February, they represented 13%, 27% and 15% of overall attacks on secularism.
“I believe that the measure that was taken by Gabriel Attal around the issue of abayas demonstrated the firm desire of the government and the minister to refuse this.
And as a result, the number of attacks has dropped significantly from this point of view,” notes Nicole Belloubet.
In December, January and February, the ministry recorded a total of 590, 280 and 336 attacks, respectively.
Reports of attacks on secularism at school recorded a sharp increase in September (1,034) and October (1,812), due to “exceptional phenomena”: the ban on wearing the abaya and qamis in September and the attack against Dominique Bernard in Arras followed by incidents during the tributes.
They fell significantly in November (460).