Accustomed to the calm of the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the private Catholic establishment Stanislas has been in the spotlight for several days, after a succession of controversies. It all started when the new Minister of National Education, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, justified the schooling of her three children in this establishment by evoking the “non-replaced hours” in public education, sparking an outcry from the body teacher.
Then came, in the press, the revelation of an investigation by the public prosecutor’s office into sexist and homophobic insults perpetrated within the establishment and, this Sunday, January 21, that concerning suspicions of “circumvention” of the Parcoursup system. The private establishment was called to order by the Ministry of Higher Education on this subject.
An investigation opened for sexist and homophobic insults within the establishment
Hectic times for the Stanislas school. After the remarks of the Minister of Education Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, justifying the schooling of her children in the private sector due to the absenteeism of teachers in their previous public school (accusations which later turned out to be false), the press was interested in the discreet establishment in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, as L’Express had already done during an investigation in June 2022.
Mediapart thus revealed, Tuesday January 16, that the school had been the subject of a report from National Education, concerning “abnormalities in the application of the association contract” of the establishment with the State , such as the obligation to take catechism classes. The content of these courses also attracted the attention of investigators, when a former speaker allegedly made remarks of a homophobic and sexist nature.
This student’s parent, a volunteer catechist, would have spoken “of the ban on sexual relations before marriage, of sodomy which brings AIDS, of homosexuality which is a sin”, according to a testimony reported by the inspectors. He was then terminated, and the parents received a letter of explanation and apology from the chaplain general on June 7, according to the report.
The police investigation follows a report received on October 19, 2023 by the justice system of the General Inspectorate of Education, Sport and Research (IGESR). The juvenile prosecutor’s office thus referred an investigation to the police station of the 5th and 6th arrondissements of the capital “for public insult due to sexual orientation or gender identity and public provocation to hatred or violence in reason of sexual orientation or gender identity”, specified the Paris prosecutor’s office requested by AFP.
The management of this establishment and the diocese of Paris judge, however, that with regard to the report from the Ministry of National Education, it does not validate the serious criticisms relayed in several recent journalistic investigations into the misogynistic and homophobic atmosphere. within the establishment. On BFM TV, Frédéric Gautier, director of Stanislas, indicated this Sunday January 21 that he had received a letter from the Ministry of National Education, in which it was written: “Mediapart’s accusations of sexism, authoritarianism and homophobia are not retained by our inspectors.” Apart from the case of this speaker, Frédéric Gautier believes “that we would have to go back well before the current management for there to be reprehensible facts”.
New controversy over circumvention of the Parcoursup system
Several media revealed this Sunday, January 21, that the Stanislas school had been called to order by the Ministry of Higher Education for “circumventing” Parcoursup rules. This information confirms that of Mediapart, who claims that the son of the Minister of Education is concerned. A report unveiled this week by the online media notes that in Stanislas, “certain students are encouraged to renounce their other wishes in Parcoursup” in exchange for the “guarantee of being admitted” to the preparatory class for the grandes écoles (CPGE) .
The report notes that the practice is “very isolated” among high schools with CPGEs. “In 2023, out of more than 600,000 high school students who have made wishes in Parcoursup, there are only 41 candidates who have made only one wish” for a CPGE in the establishment where they are in their final year and “38 are students of Stanislas. According to Mediapartthe eldest son of the Minister of National Education, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, is among these 38 students.
The Ministry of Higher Education announced this Sunday that at the end of its investigations the general inspectorate “sent a letter in August reporting this circumvention”. The ministry specifies that “the head of the establishment has been asked to confirm that all arrangements have been made in this regard within his establishment for the 2024 session which is opening”, in order to respect fairness between the candidates. to preparatory classes, and “will assess the actions to be taken in light of the responses from the head of the establishment”.
The director of Stanislas, Frédéric Gautier, also defended himself on the set of BFMTV, affirming that the students of the establishment decided “themselves” on the choice they make”, further specifying that “there is plenty of room for all the other students who want to apply.” In a response provided to Mediapartthe minister’s entourage indicated that “like other families”, hers “followed the procedure planned by Stanislas and each of the stages planned by Parcoursup”.
Interviewed in the program “Questions Politiques” (France Inter, FranceinfoTV and The world) on the question of whether Amélie Oudéa-Castéra was too weakened to remain in her post, the Minister for Gender Equality Aurore Bergé assured that she did not see “why she would not have the possibility of staying”. “At some point, we have to stop with this subject,” she said, deeming it “unbearable” to go “searching into the privacy of families”.
Oudéa-Castéra withdraws from files concerning the establishment
As part of her ministerial duties and in the face of the controversy, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra had decided, as of Thursday January 18, to “deport herself from acts relating” to the establishment, while the left opposition and detractors of the private education accuse him of bias in the “Stanislas” file. “By this effective and immediate deportation, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra responds favorably to the recommendation of the president of the High Authority for transparency in public life,” we then learned. BFMTV. The minister had previously announced “an action plan” implemented between the rectorate and “Stanislas”.
The Region should maintain its subsidies
After the first round of controversy, the Paris town hall announced that it was suspending its subsidy, compulsory funding of 1.3 million euros, still according to BFMTV. The latter wishes to wait for “clarifications” from the State. The Ile-de-France Region should maintain its aid, although it recognized on Friday January 19 “clear failings” on the part of the school. “An envelope of 917,000 euros” should be voted on January 31, according to The Parisian.
“From the moment the State maintains the association contract […] the funding is maintained”, justifies the entourage of Valérie Pécresse, president of Les Républicains de la region. The envelope which must be voted on at the end of January would be the largest in the region for a private school, again according to the Ile-de-France daily.