Saint-Denis: high school teachers summoned for "not having enforced secularism"

The current passes more and more badly between the teachers of the Angela-Davis high school, in Saint-Denis, and their direction.

This Monday, twenty teachers went on strike to support four of their colleagues who were summoned in the afternoon to the headquarters of the rectorate in Créteil (Val-de-Marne).

According to the strikers, the four teachers, all union members or staff representatives, had been the subject in recent months "of disciplinary reports drawn up by the management of the establishment".

For various reasons: the first two in the fall, a few days after taking part in a strike movement concerning the application of the health protocol in the establishment.

Two others were more recently for an even more sensitive subject: the management of the establishment accuses them of "not having enforced respect for secularism", ie the 2004 law on religious symbols in public schools. .

"A headband, not a veil"

Facts dating back to January.

Several students would not have removed their veil within the establishment, and would have even worn, for one, a few moments in class.

Version that the mobilized professors are fighting against.

“There is no tolerance on the part of teachers for non-compliance with the 2004 law, defends Marion Roche, staff representative.

And besides, we have no particular concerns with the students on this subject.

In one case, the student had a blindfold and not a veil.

And it is the whole problem of this law which is imprecise on what is considered a religious sign and what is not.

"

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"But when they are faced with a case, the colleagues who have been summoned immediately ask the students to remove their veils," observes Samuel, another teacher on strike.

Although there may be a moment of inattention, as it can happen to all of us.

Sometimes there are students who play with the limit.

"

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The strikers do not understand how such facts could have been the subject of a disciplinary report.

“In ten years in National Education, I saw this once for a colleague who had really done a very big mistake, continues Samuel.

There, it occurs four times in a few months for facts which do not justify it.

"

"Law enforcement is complicated"

The teachers also regret not being supported by the National Education on these questions of secularism.

After the assassination of Samuel Paty, training was requested on the subject, refused by their management.

"Several colleagues recognize that the application of the law is complicated, and our role is not the sanction but the discussion," recalls Samuel.

And so it would be good to receive advice, to discuss a

modus operandi

but it is not the case.

"

Strikers denounce union repression

The teachers mobilized on Monday also criticize their management for attacking union colleagues or staff representatives “when the problem affects everyone.

"And there are many cases of union repression currently", notes Marion Roche.

In December, teachers were notably sanctioned in Bordeaux (Gironde) for acts that occurred during strikes against the reform of the baccalaureate.

"There have been cases in Melle

(Editor's note: in Deux-Sèvres)

but also in Bobigny", where middle school teachers had undergone forced transfers.

The question of union repression was put to the principal.

“He told us it had nothing to do with it,” explains Samuel.

It is obviously not in the reasons for convocation, but we tell ourselves that it does not fall completely at random.

"

The two other professors summoned to the rectorate were summoned for quite other reasons.

One was criticized for having communicated on WhatsApp with students to talk about the health protocol, without the agreement of the principal, and therefore of not having respected the general data protection regulations.

The other to have pasted a poster in the establishment - which he formally denies - concerning the principal's decision to condemn the toilets for sanitary reasons.

At the beginning of the evening, the rectorate of Créteil told us that it would "not be able" to answer our questions.