On October 16, 2020, Samuel Paty, professor of history and geography at the college of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine (Yvelines), was assassinated in the middle of the street by an Islamist terrorist.
Two years later to the day, "the trauma remains strong", declared the Minister of National Education and Youth Pap Ndiaye, guest this Sunday of the Grand Jury RTL - LCI -
Le Figaro.
“The atrocious assassination [de Samuel Paty, NDLR] obliges us.
First at the commemoration.
Then to reaffirm the importance of secularism, of free expression, of the school as a place which must be rid of religious influences.
»
Read alsoTwo years after the assassination of Samuel Paty, the school still under Islamist threat
Has the situation improved over the past two years?
“
There are two pitfalls to avoid: saying that nothing has changed and saying that everything is fine.
It's a long-term job that we carry out against the forces hostile to the Republic.
[…] We still have work to do, especially on social networks”
, underlined the Minister, who mentioned having reinforced the functional protection of personnel but also the Values of the Republic teams as well as the training of teachers. on secularism.
313 reports in September
Questioned at length on this issue of secularism at school, and on the attention he pays to this subject, Pap Ndiaye has never ceased to insist on his
"firmness"
.
“I don't have a shaking hand on questions of secularism
,” he assured.
He also recalled his promise of
"transparency"
, in particular by publishing the figures for attacks on secularism in schools every month.
The latest assessment revealed that 313 reports of attacks on secularism had been noted in September.
The Minister, however, considered that there was no need to modify the 2004 law on religious symbols at school,
"perfectly clear"
, and refused to draw up "
a catalog of dress provisions which, moreover, would be foiled the next day",
while the heads of establishments are very demanding for
"clear directives",
in particular on the question of abayas and qamis.
“We have to look at situations on a case-by-case basis
,” he said, recalling the importance of
“dialogue”
with students and families, as well as the
“support”
provided by the Values of the Republic teams to staff. .
“Living room wokism”
Beyond secularism, the minister answered a wide variety of questions, from college reform to teacher compensation, including sex education at school, the recruitment of contract workers and the school climate.
To remember: the ministry is carrying out a
“reflection”
around the third quarter of the final year, described as
“a little wobbly”
by Pap Ndiaye, with in particular specialty tests organized from March.
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Finally, Pap Ndiaye considered
"ridiculous"
the
"qualifiers"
he hears about him, in particular that of
"living room wokism"
, a term taken up by the senator from Vendée and candidate for the presidency of the Republicans Bruno Retailleau in the Grand Jury RTL - LCI - Le Figaro last week.
"To fight against inequalities, discrimination, is to strengthen the Republic, it is not to weaken it"
, he declared.
