Paris (AFP)

After more than twelve hours of heated discussions, the National Assembly on Friday validated a new more restrictive regime for family education, subjecting it to prior authorization from the State, instead of the simple declaration. current.

By 78 votes to 25, with 8 abstentions, the deputies adopted article 21 of the bill confirming respect for the principles of the Republic, which thus intends to make family education (IEF) the exception, the rule being instruction in public or private establishments or schools.

In the viewfinder, the school "separatism" of radical Islamists and other sectarian excesses.

Some elected representatives stood out among the majority, five LREM abstaining and one, Anne-France Brunet, speaking out against.

The right as well as the socialists and communists also voted against this article 21, the most debated of the bill.

The rebels abstained.

The government has tried to defuse criticism from all sides of this controversial reform, with a transition period until the 2024-2025 school year, voted on Thursday evening by the Assembly after a long and lively debate.

Controls will be carried out during the year 2021-2022 in families already practicing family instruction, to ensure that "this mode of instruction is not used for separatist practices" and to authorize its continuation for both following years.

The draft law provided for a severe restriction of the IEF, in accordance with the wishes of Emmanuel Macron during his speech at Mureaux (Yvelines) in October, announcing his outright ban, a choice he had assumed as "radical".

The Council of State, brandishing the risk of unconstitutionality, finally forced the government to soften its copy.

The text provides that the authorization of the IEF can only be granted for reasons of health, disability, artistic or sports practice, family roaming, distance from an establishment, and also in the event of "specific situation to the child motivating the educational project ".

"The best interests of the child" should be respected.

Deputies from all sides fear a more global threat to home education, which would affect some 62,000 students in France.

According to its detractors, article 21 violates the freedom of education, the object of many political quarrels since the beginnings of the Third Republic.

But "the subject is these little girls who are sent to sheds to be indoctrinated from the age of 3. Do we want to refuse to see that?" National Education Jean-Michel Blanquer, by vilifying a left which "burns its own values" and a right which "pretends not to see (the) reality on the ground".

The minister also promised "to expand our teams in the rectorships" to better control the IEF.

In the home stretch on Friday, the deputies added, for the benefit of those responsible for family instruction, a validation of acquired experience.

© 2021 AFP