Averroès Muslim high school: justice confirms the end of public subsidies
The administrative court of Lille confirmed this Monday, February 12 in summary proceedings the decision of the prefect of the North to end, from the start of the 2024 school year, subsidies for the Averroès high school, the main Muslim secondary school in France. The establishment announced that it would refer the matter to the Council of State.
Created in 2003 and under contract with the State since 2008, the Averroès high school in Lille was regularly ranked among the best in the Hauts-de-France region. AFP - SAMEER AL-DOUMY
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The Lille administrative court rejected this Monday the request from the Lille Averroès high school, which called for the emergency suspension of the
decision taken last December by the prefect of the North
putting an end to its public subsidies. “
There is no reason to maintain the association contract linking the Averroès high school to the State until the decision to terminate this contract (...) is examined by the trial judges
”, a explained the court in a press release. This hearing on the merits has not been scheduled, but should take place “
before the end of the current school year
”.
The prefect had accused the high school, open for 20 years and regularly ranked among the best in the region, of having provided teaching “
contrary to the values of the Republic
”. The administrative court, taking up some of the arguments of the prefect of the North, justified its decision by considering that the high school had indeed failed to fulfill its obligations on two occasions. On the one hand, “
by opposing without sufficient reason an unannounced control of the CDI scheduled for June 27, 2022
”, and on the other hand by citing, as a source for Muslim ethics courses, a book advocating the penalty of death in case of apostasy.
Following this decision, the establishment denounced through one of its lawyers “
an unacceptable decision which brushes aside our arguments without responding to them in order to adopt those of the prefecture
”. “
We are appealing this order to the Council of State and hope to obtain a favorable decision as soon as possible
,” he added in his press release.
During the hearing on January 24, another lawyer for the Averroès high school described the prefectural decision as a “
death warrant
” for an establishment which will not be able to operate without its subsidies, and of which 61% of students are on scholarships.
(
With
AFP)
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