According to a survey conducted by Ifop for the Jean-Jaurès Foundation and "Charlie Hebdo" published on Wednesday, 49% of secondary school teachers have already self-censored in their teaching of religious issues so as not to cause possible incidents in their class.
A phenomenon which is progressing by "13 points in barely two years", according to Ifop.
Self-censorship on the rise.
To avoid possible incidents in the classroom, 49% of teachers say they have already self-censored in their teaching around religious issues, a figure that has been rising since 2018 according to an Ifop * survey for the Jean-Jaurès and
Charlie Hebdo
foundation
, published Wednesday.
This investigation, which comes nearly three months after the assassination by beheading of Professor Samuel Paty, focuses on "the challenges of secularism and the religious claims experienced by teachers in the school compound", the first part of a series of three on this theme.
49% of secondary school teachers have self-censored
Thus, nearly half of the secondary teachers questioned (49%) affirm to have already self-censored in their teaching of religious questions in order not to cause possible incidents in their class.
"A phenomenon which already existed before the murder of Samuel Paty and which has progressed by 13 points in barely two years" specifies at the microphone of Europe 1 François Kraus, director of the Politics / News pole at Ifop.
A trend that is felt "in particular among young teachers and teachers who work in working-class neighborhoods or in priority education zones."
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In this context, the teaching "has the feeling of being rather well supported by their direct hierarchy, that is to say the principals, the principals", he specifies.
On the other hand, the survey shows "very clearly a feeling of abandonment on the part of the rectorate, the Academy or the ministry", affirms François Kraus.
"We feel on these subjects, as on more broadly those related to discipline or security problems in the establishments, that there is a lack of support from the central administration."
Sharp increase in incidents in EPS
In detail, 40% of teachers say they have experienced incidents related to the challenge of the principle of secularism on issues relating to school catering, an increase of 5 points since 2018, according to Ifop.
Almost half (49%) of protests or the fact that some students try to escape activities or lessons occur during physical education and sports classes, a figure up 14 points compared to 2018. They also increase during lessons on secularism (+12 points), during moral and civic education (+10 points) or science lessons (+6 points).
On the other hand, these disputes are down during artistic education lessons (-5 points compared to 2018) or even during technological lessons or professional workshops (-5 points).
When asked about Samuel Paty's decision to teach a course on freedom of expression based on press cartoons, three quarters of the teachers questioned (75%) support him, 9% think he was wrong and 16 % prefer not to comment.
800 incidents during the tribute to Samuel Paty
The Ministry of National Education had indicated in early December that it had identified nearly 800 incidents (17% for apologizing for terrorism) during the tribute paid to Samuel Paty in schools.
In total, 44 definitive exclusions were pronounced by the establishments and 286 reports were made to the police-gendarmerie services and 136 to the public prosecutors.
* Survey carried out online from December 10 to 17, 2020 with a sample of 801 first and second degree teachers in mainland France.