This is a survey conducted by the National Union of National Education Management Staff (Snpden) and the results of which have just been released.
Within the framework of its new observatory of secularism, the first trade union organization among heads of secondary schools (colleges, high schools) and their assistants for the first time questioned its members on this burning subject, who were close to 1000 to answer.
To discover
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During the first trimester of the current school year, 42% of these respondents observed in their students so-called
"cultural"
outfits but which can be
"used in the context of a religious practice"
- mainly qamis and abayas .
In general and technological high schools, the proportion even rises to 72%.
"It's huge
," blows a connoisseur of the environment.
Unsurprisingly, rural areas are very little affected by this phenomenon, while the heart and suburbs of large cities are strongly affected.
In addition, 26% of respondents noted challenges to teaching content in the name of
“religious truth”
and 23% faced problems of respect for secularism in the context of educational outings or school trips.
28% also identified pupils refusing to take part in PE or swimming pool lessons.
“I very recently received one or two reports of establishments in which single-sex swimming slots were organized so that girls could go there …”,
slips Didier Georges, headmaster of the Parisian hotel school Jean Drouant and elected Snpden National.
Self-censorship
Beyond these edifying figures, the investigation carried out by the Snpden shows that very many heads of establishments and assistants do not trace the incidents of which they are aware to their hierarchy.
This is for example the case of 23% of those having been confronted with incidents during outings or school trips, 42% of those who had to deal with pupils wearing outfits that could be used in the context of a religious practice. and even 71% of those who recorded refusals to participate in physical education or swimming lessons.
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Where does this
"general reluctance"
come from , in the words of Bruno Bobkiewicz, the general secretary of Snpden?
“According to the feedback we have, several reasons coexist.
First, management personnel may have solved the problem internally.
Conversely, when there are multiple incidents, they may run out of time,
explains Didier Georges, principal of the Parisian hotel school Jean-Drouant.
Then, even if the 'pas de vague' on this subject is less strong today, the fear of not being followed by the institution and of finding oneself 'alone at the front' still exists.
Finally, they may also fear that they will be considered incompetent, or that the elements they transmit will leak externally.”
This self-censorship confirms that the figures for attacks on secularism in schools, now published almost every month by Rue de Grenelle, should be considered with caution.
The latest report, published at the beginning of February, thus reported only 363 reports in December and 280 in January... Despite their lack of exhaustiveness, they nevertheless make it possible to observe trends.
All the reports published in recent months show that the
"wearing of signs and uniforms"
is the main problem facing schools and therefore management staff.
"We can not be arbiters of the questions of outfits"
, insists the Snpden, which calls for
"clarifications"
.
"Abayas, qamis, is it yes or is it no?"