Europe 1 with AFP / Photo credit: MATHILDE KACZKOWSKI / HANS LUCAS / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP 3:22 p.m., February 26, 2024

"After several reminders", the college with four classes from 6th to 3rd according to its website "was not very clear about its sources of financing", estimated Nicole Belloubet to justify her desire to close this private Muslim college out of contract.

The Minister of National Education, Nicole Belloubet, announced Monday morning her intention to close in Nice a private Muslim college outside of a contract, the Avicenne college, due to "an opaque financing problem", "contrary to the law “anti-separatism.

"After several relaunches", the college with four classes from 6th to 3rd according to its website "was not very clear about its sources of financing", estimated Nicole Belloubet on France 2, which is "contrary to the law of 2021, the anti-separatism law".

“This is the reason why I asked the rector of the Nice academy to clearly apply the 2021 law and to propose to the prefect the closure of this establishment, taking into account the academic situation of the students” , she continued.

The minister specified that the authorities were going to "announce the closure" with implementation "postponed to September" to "be able to take care of the students" of this college located in the Ariane district in Nice, one of the poorest in the city.

Christian Estrosi supports "the minister's firm approach towards separatism"

The rector of the Nice academy, Natacha Chicot, clarified during a press briefing on Monday that “from October 2022 we have requested from the Avicenne establishment the supporting documents provided for by law”.

“Since this date, despite our reminders, the establishment has not been able to justify a very large part of the funding received during the years 2021-2022,” she indicated, expressing her intention to “seize the floor”.

“The reason which could lead to the closure of the establishment is due to the accounting and budgetary situation, at this stage, there have never been any alerts on possible recruitment or a situation of radicalization in this establishment”, specified Natacha Chicot.

The Avicenna college welcomes “around a hundred students”, according to the rector.

Contacted by AFP, those in charge of the establishment did not wish to react immediately.

In a press release, Christian Estrosi, mayor (Horizons) of Nice, supported "the minister's firm approach towards separatism", specifying that he was "opposed to the expansion" of the establishment there a few months due to its “hidden financing”.

This announcement comes a few months after the decision of the prefect of the North to end public subsidies for the Averroès high school, the main Muslim secondary school in France, from the start of the 2024 school year.

A State decision confirmed in summary proceedings by the Lille administrative court on February 12.

The Averroès establishment indicated that it would contact the Council of State to contest this decision.

500 students in “radicalization processes” 

Asked about the monitoring in France of students suspected of radicalization - the minister estimated on February 18 on BFMTV that around 500 students were in "radicalization processes" including 160 in an advanced process - Nicole Belloubet estimated that there is “different levels of radicalization”.

“There are students who are children of families who we imagine are radicalized, others who have already committed acts by not respecting the values ​​of the Republic,” noted Nicole Belloubet.

“When we have any doubts, we follow these students very closely and the principals and principals have means to prevent them from entering the establishments,” she assured.

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“We really follow their behavior in class very carefully. If there are difficulties, we can go as far as a certain number of disciplinary procedures,” she added.

Finally, the ministry is studying the establishment of “specific classes” for these students, she added, specifying that reflection was underway on the “manner” in which they could be established and according to what “scope”.