Two students organized a prayer on the grounds of their school in Nice, this Monday, November 13. Christian Estrosi and the Rector of the Nice Academy summon the parents.
On November 13, two CE2 students from a school in Nice prayed on the premises of their institution. Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice and Natacha Chicot, Rector of the Nice Academy, were informed of the incident during the day.
Christian Estrosi and Natacha Chicot both denounce a violation of secularism and remind: “The principle of secularism is a principle of the Republic that cannot be contested in any way. It applies to everyone, in all our public schools, during class time as well as extracurricular time. We will not let anything pass. Our secular Republic that we defend and believe in is our collective foundation.”
The Mayor of Nice quickly instructed Jean-Luc Gagliolo, Deputy Delegate for Education, and Natacha Chicot, to the school principal, “to summon and promptly meet with the parents of the concerned students to remind them of the fundamental principles of secularism“.
The city of Nice is committed to defending secularism
The mayor of Nice reaffirmed his very firm position on any violation of secularism on his X account (formerly Twitter). “Our duty is to never let such behaviors pass,” he wrote.
In the City Council on November 7, the school was at the center of many deliberations.An action plan comprising a series of eleven measures aimed at combating violations of secularism was adopted.
This plan was developed “in partnership with the Academic Inspection,” and notably includes the development of training sessions on the respect for the principle of secularism for public service agents, development of midday activities, provided by speakers, under the coordination of the secularism referent, and the publication of a secularism booklet for students in Nice schools.
Anthony Borré, the first deputy, delegate for Security, highlighted that Nice was the city in France making “the most reports about deviations, whether on violations of secularism or other religious deviations.”
Recurring incidents
This is not an unprecedented situation. In Nice, reports of Muslim prayers by CM1-CM2 students in three city schools occurred last June. Christian Estrosi had then alerted the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne.
In a joint statement with Pap Ndiaye, Minister of National Education and Youth, he said: “Such acts are intolerable in the School of the Republic and must receive a firm, collective, and resolute response. The School of the Republic is a sanctuary for all our children; it is our duty to protect it from any religious intrusion.”
