“To threaten a teacher is to threaten the Republic. To hit a teacher is to hit the Republic,” declared the Minister of National Education, Anne Genetet, on October 7. The day before, a student from the Sévigné high school in Tourcoing (North) was taken into police custody, suspected of having slapped a teacher. Pattern ? The teacher allegedly asked the young girl to remove her veil in the school playground. “In all our establishments, the law of 2004 must apply, the entire law of 2004 [interdisant le port des signes religieux ostensibles à l’école]”, also reacted Alexandre Portier, Minister Delegate in charge of Academic Success. This new attack comes a few days before the tribute ceremonies to teachers Samuel Paty and Dominique Bernard, planned in schools on Monday October 14 and Tuesday October 15.
In his book Me, principal…, which has just been published by Robert Laffont, Mahi Traoré, head of the establishment at the head of the Parisian high school Lucas-de-Nehou, which prepares people for the glass and stained glass professions, speaks candidly about her daily life: the sometimes difficult relationships with the parents of students, the subtleties of organization when it comes to constructing timetables, the tough budgetary negotiations, the fight against harassment, which requires constant vigilance, the central question of women’s equality -men, but also the importance of not giving up on respect for secularism at school. Subject at the center of his establishment project. Interview.
L’Express: How do you react to this case involving, in Tourcoing, a student who allegedly slapped a teacher because the latter had asked her to remove her veil?
Mahi Traoré: What happened is unbearable. This teacher was violated in her integrity within the very establishment in which she works. Once again, it is the school of the Republic which is hit to the heart. But, as a principal, I say loud and clear that I am not afraid. I must protect and guarantee the safety of both my teachers and my students, and I am far from being the only one to remain firm in these values. Even if this institution has many people who are discreet and silent on this issue, the majority of us work fiercely to defend the principle of secularism which guarantees our freedoms and the principle of living together.
In your book, you recount the hours which followed the announcement of the assassination of Dominique Bernard, on October 13, and the support of your students. A real comfort for you?
Just after the attack, I decided to bring everyone together in the courtyard of my high school – supervisors, maintenance and canteen staff, nurses, social workers, teachers and students – to hold a minute of silence. My voice trembled as I said a few words. At the end, several students spontaneously came to surround me and say: “Madam, rest assured, we will protect you.” The roles were reversed. I told myself that we had succeeded in our mission which is to instill in them the ability to never give in to fear and never give up their freedom. This year, once again, we are preparing to follow the instructions of the rectorate and the ministry by organizing a moment of meditation and reflection in tribute to Dominique Bernard and Samuel Paty, assassinated on October 16, 2020. We will devote the entire day to it. and alternate times dedicated to reflection, reading poems or listening to music, like the U2 piece which resonated in the main courtyard of the Sorbonne a few days after his death. Moreover, our students regularly and spontaneously ask us to put it in the background in our workshops. The fact that the approach came from them fills me with pride.
How do you approach the issue of secularism in your establishment?
Each year, we of course focus on the law of December 9, 1905, which enacts the principle of separation of Churches and State. But, in my establishment, any excuse is good to address the subject of secularism throughout the year. I also believe that we cannot leave this subject to teachers of history and moral and civic education alone. Everyone must be involved, whether teachers of mathematics, English, French but also those responsible for professional and technological subjects. My CAP and professional baccalaureate students thus have the opportunity to take up this theme as part of the creation of their “masterpieces” – this is what we call the projects that allow them to promote their skills. One of them thus imagined a “tree of secularism”, a magnificent creation which now sits in the hall of the Paris rectorate with the emblem of the Lucas-de-Nehou high school: “Secularism in glass and against everything. “
You explain that it is also very important to keep the debate alive and to free up speech. This is what you did when the wearing of the abaya was banned last year…
At the start of the 2023 school year, the then Minister of National Education, Gabriel Attal, worked for the establishment of a circular prohibiting the wearing of the abaya in schools. A salutary measure which made it possible to clarify the situation and no longer leave principals and principals alone in the face of this phenomenon. But we had to explain the reasons for this ban to our students. This is what the “values of the Republic” team of the Paris academy – to which I myself belong – did when it intervened in my establishment. The students were able to ask questions, express possible doubts, or even disagreements. But these discussions allowed us to respond and argue for this decision. For too long we believed that the law was authoritative, that it was enough to state the principles of the legislation of March 2004, relating to the ban on the conspicuous wearing of religious symbols, for it to be applied immediately . This is of course not enough. The educational approach, which aims to support the student in their reflection and understanding, is essential.
Obstacles to secularism have long been a taboo subject in schools. Is the situation changing?
I think the culture of “no waves” is gradually receding. Management personnel are less hesitant to report attacks on secularism, as well as cases of violence and harassment. They are less afraid of appearing as someone incompetent or fragile who cannot manage their establishment and fears for their reputation. Although, of course, progress remains to be made. In any case, as far as we are concerned, we remain in constant vigilance, both my teams and my students.
In your book, you say that an incident affected your establishment in 2017, well before the Samuel Paty affair. What happened?
In June 2017, my high school, which served as an exam center, welcomed candidates for the anticipated baccalaureate exams. Among them, several young girls presented themselves veiled, sometimes completely, and wearing gloves. I would like to point out that the 2004 law, which prohibits conspicuous religious symbols, did not apply to these students. The latter, enrolled in a religious establishment outside of a contract, were not subject to an obligation of discretion. But, to guarantee fair treatment between the candidates, we were required to check that they were not hiding cheat sheets, or even earpieces, under their veils. All this was done in a room out of sight and in a very courteous manner. However, shortly after, one of the candidates claimed on Twitter that she had been subjected to an abusive body search, which would have destabilized her before the exam. This false claim was only intended to create buzz on social networks. When faced with this type of situation, it is very important not to isolate yourself and nip the lie in the bud by being transparent, explaining in detail what exactly happened. This is what I did, and the controversy fortunately ended up stopping.
You also emphasize the importance of ensuring a certain social diversity in classes…
In a previous book, I mentioned the case of certain students tempted by community withdrawal and who tended to group together in the canteen or in the courtyard. Which can be reassuring for them at first. But, if this phenomenon persists, it is important to try to put an end to it by facilitating mixing, by organizing integration days or discussion times. In the comprehensive high school where I work and where different sectors and very diverse populations coexist, the stakes are high. I make sure, for example, to bring together professional baccalaureate students and those aiming to obtain a craft certificate in general courses dedicated, for example, to English or mathematics. On the first day, the two groups naturally sat on opposite sides of the class! To remedy this situation, we took the initiative of changing the configuration of the class so as to form a U and mix the students. We cannot allow islands to settle in and leave everyone in their own lane within the school of the Republic. In the same way, there cannot be ghettos of the poor and ghettos of the rich. I am convinced that school diversity is the only way to break down barriers and promote living together.
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