According to the latest report from the Ministry of Education, reports of attacks on secularism increased in October 2022. In Occitania, the Bourdelle high school in Montauban has had to face various reprehensible behaviors in recent months.
Reports of attacks on secularism are on the rise. This is the conclusion of latest report released by National Education November 9: the number of reports reported by secondary schools (middle and high schools) jumped from 313 last September to 720 in October 2022.
Since Pap Ndiaye’s arrival at the Ministry of Education, these reports have been made public every month. One way, according to the minister, to encourage the heads of the institutes and the teaching teams to raise the problems encountered during the year.
According to the October report, the increase in these attacks on secularism mainly concerns colleges, where 52% of the events occurred, compared to 36% in September. In high schools, ratios are quite down, from 51% in September to 37% in October.
“The management of the institute went hand in hand with the territorial intelligence services, the Region, the rectorate and the prefecture”.
Member of the teaching staff of the Bourdelle high school in Montauban
And Occitania is no exception to this observation. This Wednesday, November 9th, our colleagues from Marianne revealed important facts of the attack on secularism in the Antoine Bourdelle high school in Montauban.
In this public institution, the teaching staff has found themselves facing an increase in problematic behaviors since mid-October. As at the national level, most of the facts revealed concerned verbal provocations or the use of signs and clothes related to religion.
“We have never seen students wearing abayas before, but in recent years the cases have multiplied“confides an institution teacher who wishes to remain anonymous. Some students’ requests go through dress code or even thesis exchanges with their teachers.”There have recently been protests in some courses, for example a student tried to rally part of his class for his cause.“
For this professor, however, this type of altercation has existed for years and does not prevent teachers from doing their jobs.
However, the recent rise in cases nationwide is of concern. Invited to the Quotidien scheduled for November 9, Minister Pap Ndiaye explains this sudden increase in October according to three factors: the anniversary of the assassination of Samuel Patty, “a moment, like last year, when complaints multiply with pedagogical controversies“, the ministry’s encouragement to school heads to report all reports and, finally, the increasingly important virality of TikTok videos. In fact, the short videos of this social network are increasing in number, where the situation is tense between pupils and teachers.
Bourdelle High School also dealt with this case. “A colleague was filmed without her knowledge and the video was posted on TikTok, says the high school teacher. Because it is illegal, it was later blurred and eventually removed from the network.“ The accident was caught “very seriously“by the management, according to the teacher, who summoned the student concerned, as well as his parents. According to the rectorate, the headmaster filed a complaint following the accident.
At present, two high school teachers would also benefit from police protection, following threats of physical injury detected on social networks, which have since been canceled. “For the moment they have no particular fears, He adds, although inevitably the atmosphere is a bit special in the teachers’ lounge.“Beyond relationships, relationships at the very heart of the teaching team have deteriorated.”There are disagreements among colleagues over religious dress. Most prefer to do the lessons without worrying about it.“
“When reporting, we first engage in a dialogue with the student and his or her family.”
Mostafa Fourar, rector of the Toulouse Academy
Recently, the concern of the staff of the institute had focused on the day of November 9 following an appeal, circulated among the students, to come to the institute in “abaya or long dress”. “In the end, nothing like this happened, says Mostafa Fourar, rector of the Toulouse Academy. The pupils benefited from an intervention that reminded them of the interest of secularism.“
For several months the rectorate, the prefecture and an inter-ministerial unit have joined the direction of the institute to manage the situations that undermine secularism at the Bourdelle high school. “We have created a procedure aimed at systematically but gradually sanctioning this type of attack.“, Adds the rectorate.
To date, only one student would go to the disciplinary board before leaving the institution of her own free will. “These reports serve as a lesson for us, explains Mostafa Fourar. Even if the situation is under control, we remain vigilant.“
If verbal provocations leave no doubt about the attack on secularism, the greatest difficulty for the institutions remains the management of clothing. Following the publication of the report of the Ministry of Education and the statements of Pap Ndiaye, the heads of the establishments would have asked “clear texts, which frame what is or is not a religious habit“, Audrey Chanonat, member of the National Union of Education Management Staff, quoted by our colleagues from France Info, in order to anticipate any complaints from parents.
“It is not up to the head of the establishment to deal with this type of discussion. Today this is what makes us difficult, the texts are not precise enough.“, He concludes.
