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Secularism circular: Is Pap Ndiaye up to the fight against the Islamist offensive at school?

2022-11-10T15:50:55.302Z


FIGAROVOX/INTERVIEW - The Marianne Magazine unveiled a circular signed by the Minister of National Education. The ministry undertakes to punish students who undermine secularism, but also to train school directors to act against...


Pierre Juston, PhD student in public law specializing in issues of secularism.

He carries out training and conferences on secularism everywhere in France and in all public services, in particular within the National Education.

FIGAROVOX.

- The magazine Marianne unveiled a circular, signed by the hand of the Minister of National Education, Pap Ndiaye.

Its objective is to better support the management staff of establishments in the management of incidents related to questions of secularism.

Is this a reaction to the rise in attacks on secularism in schools?

Pierre JUSTON.

-

Indeed, the introduction to the circular specifies that its objective is to respond to this phenomenon.

For more than a year now, we have been confronted with clear attacks on secularism in several establishments.

This phenomenon does not date from the start of the school year, but the figures given by the National Education show that it is increasing very significantly and very quickly.

It's worrying.

720 reports were recorded in October 2022, an increase of 130% compared to September.

Recently, and by way of example, the situation of the Bourdelle high school in Montauban seems to worry the intelligence services.

A video containing threats was posted on TikTok.

And a call to come in "abaya" at the high school required the intervention of the academic teams,

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The difficulty of this phenomenon is to determine what is a pure fad or if the real motivation of the students is part of a fight of the religious order that they consider legitimate.

There are also and above all Islamist networks which particularly target schools, because it is a sensitive and significant place, particularly in France with regard to secularism and the construction of our republican universalist model.

Fundamentalists know this.

Does the content of this circular make it possible to respond to these attacks?

It's hard to say.

I sincerely believe that there is an effort on the part of the rue de Grenelle to respond clearly to this phenomenon.

Having been in the field for more than 10 years now on this subject, I know that there is no turnkey solution.

Nevertheless, it is important that this circular first clearly and firmly reaffirms the framework of the law, and provides stakeholders with a more precise modus operandi.

The other essential point of this circular is the question of the training of National Education personnel.

There is still currently a lack of training on the subject within the National Education even if much progress has been made, including senior managers who are particularly concerned in terms of responsibility.

When there is a problem,

educational assistants, senior educational advisers and teachers are on the front line, but school leaders must intervene after the fact to support teachers and understand the issues of these behaviours.

It is a long-term policy that the minister is committed to pursuing, and he is to be congratulated.

The sanction mentioned in the circular, for students whose behavior violates various principles including that of secularism, must be applied, but also accompanied by more sustainable solutions in the medium and long terms, in particular more in-depth training of staff. of management.

Pierre Juston

However, I have a constructive criticism to make.

Pap Ndiaye's predecessor, Jean-Michel Blanquer, took up this subject head-on by creating academic secularism teams and the council of elders at the national level, which was an excellent initiative.

Most of the time, the responsiveness of these teams and the responses are effective.

However, I believe that there is a classic internal problem in the National Education machine with regard to the recruitment of people within the “values ​​of the Republic” teams in certain academies.

If people are seriously trained in these technical issues and take their role very seriously, others are promoted to these positions with the only "folding seat" effect to progress in the career, without however mastering this subject on its legal aspects in particular .

The Minister of National Education had targeted in an interview with Le Monde in mid-October, the “Islamist agitators” who act with young people on social networks.

However, how to act if outside the school enclosure, and in particular on social networks, these preachers proliferate?

This is the challenge and the role of the public school: to give a vision sometimes different from that transmitted by the family and private circle, to offer the tools of knowledge which emancipates and tends to tear the pupils away from their various social determinisms, cultural, religious etc.

Conversely, we cannot consider that pupils are only pupils.

They are also children with a life outside of school.

Everything should not rest on the school institution.

Identifying and fighting against “

Islamist agitators

 ” who manipulate certain young people is the responsibility of another ministry.

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The actors of National Education, in the field which is theirs, must first advocate firmness in the application of principles, which in no way prevents flexibility in teaching and discussion afterwards.

This is why the sanction mentioned in the circular, for students whose behavior violates various principles, including that of secularism, must be applied, but also accompanied by more sustainable solutions in the medium and long terms, in particular more in-depth training of management personnel.

Source: lefigaro

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