The Minister of National Education, Jean-Michel Blanquer, inaugurated the members of the academic team on secularism and religious facts in Nice. At the rector’s office, it was an opportunity to discuss this ancient and yet very current value.
In order to have “locally relevant and effective” responses, each academy now has its own secularism unit. In Nice, this academic team is composed of 13 people, including principals, teachers, and specialists.
Based on the specifications provided last December, it operates in three main areas: the prevention and training of teachers, expertise in the field of case law, and emergency situations (support and psychological support). In short, it will propose and implement rules concerning issues encountered in a school.
At the national level, there is the Council of Sages. Since both have the same objectives, this team can rely on it.
The Minister of National Education concluded with the message he wants to convey: “It is one of a trusting school climate. When we talk about secularism, we should not think it increases conflicts among people; it is quite the opposite. A climate of trust is necessary for everyone to feel good, (…) thanks to the values of the Republic, which allow us to live in society with a mindset of trust, tolerance, and optimism.”
