Teacher Sanctioned for Using Religious Text in Local Heritage Class
A French teacher in Carcassonne was reprimanded for using materials on St. Bernadette Soubirous and Lourdes in an Occitan class, allegedly in breach of neutrality laws. Despite arguing that the content reflected regional heritage, a court upheld the sanction in September 2024, ruling that it violated the principles of secularism in public education.
On 8 June 2023, a French teacher at the Le Bastion secondary school in Carcassonne was officially reprimanded by the rector of the Montpellier education authority for allegedly breaching his duty of neutrality and the principle of secularity by using teaching materials relating to Bernadette Soubirous and a local traditional shepherd's song announcing the birth of Christ in his "Occitan" class. As a teacher of Occitan, a local dialect of southern France, he had used these historical texts, written in Occitan, which have a long tradition in the cultural history of the region.
In his class, the teacher presented a variety of Occitan poems, songs and texts, including the Shepherds' Song and an excerpt from Bernadette Soubirous's description of the apparition of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes. According to him, all these texts are of educational interest and highlight "local heritage, regional folklore and ancient beliefs", which is part of his subject.
However, in September 2024, the Administrative Court of Montpellier, to which the teacher had appealed, considered that these materials "gave rise to a discussion linked to the programme". The court therefore considered that the obligation of neutrality had been breached and that the school was justified in imposing a disciplinary sanction.
According to French law (Article L121-2 of the General Public Service Code), "civil servants are bound by the duty of neutrality in the performance of their duties. They must carry out their duties in accordance with the principle of secularity. As such, they must refrain from expressing their religious beliefs (...)". While recognising that these principles do not preclude the use of material of a religious nature, the Court considered in this case that the teacher's method was not in keeping with the content and objectives of the school curriculum.
The Administrative Court of Montpellier Decision (September 27, 2024): justice.pappers.fr
Source: lesalonbeige.fr
Image: Wikipedia
