A school in France (illustrative image).

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AFP

Attacks on secularism at school, ranging from the wearing of signs or clothing with religious connotations to teaching challenges remained stable this year, the college being the level most concerned, we learned on Tuesday from of the Ministry of National Education.

Between September 2019 and March 2020, the ministry identified 935 cases of attacks on secularism at school.

Last year, 900 cases were listed over a period from April 2019 to July 2019. The ministry had to review the study period this year because of the confinement which started in March.

"I have the feeling that we are rather in a form of stagnation, that we have contained something", declared the Minister of National Education Jean-Michel Blanquer, during the national seminar of the coordinators of the academic teams " Values ​​of the Republic ”.

College and primary in mind

"We sent a message: we do not put the problems under the carpet, on the contrary, we ask that each fact of violation of secularism be reported and that a proportionate response be given," added the minister.

“That no one, neither a teacher, nor a school principal, a pupil or a pupil's parent, feel alone, isolated, without a solution when an attack on secularism is exercised," said Jean-Michel Blanquer.

It is in college that tensions remain the most numerous with 45% of reports.

Next come primary with 37% of cases and high school with 18%, according to rue de Grenelle.

It is the school directors, the heads of establishments or the inspectors who report these reports.

Geographically, "six academies alone account for 53% of reports (Créteil, Grenoble, Normandy, Toulouse, Versailles and Nice)", according to the ministry.

Parents more involved

The vast majority of acts are committed by students (57% this year against 61% last year).

The ministry notes on the other hand an increase of the facts on behalf of parents (19% this year against 22% last year).

Wearing religious signs or clothing (a cross, a veil or a Sikh turban for example) represents 15% of cases.

Teaching challenges, such as disapproving the content of a program, represent 15% of cases.

Finally, other facts, such as insults and cries of violence of a religious nature represent 41% of cases.

The ministry also notes a new form of attack on secularism, which appeared during the confinement.

"During virtual classes, some students obtained the codes of another class and broke into it to disrupt it, sometimes with remarks detrimental to the values ​​of secularism", we are assured.

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