Posted on 16th October, 2020
On RTL (a French radio station) the 13th of October 2020, Jean-Michel
Blanquer (Minister of National Education in France) questioned by Thomas Sotto on the establishment of a curfew in the context of the Covid 19 epidemic, declared: “Frankly, it would be premature to answer you on a measure that ‘has not been decided (…) I will not comment on something that is not done”. A modesty that he does not apply when home education is concerned.
Emmanuel Macron (President of France) decided to abolish home education from the start of the 2021 school year in his speech on separatism on the 2nd of October 2020. At minute 9 of this same interview , the Education Minister indicates that this prohibitive measure is « final ». He then peremptorily adds, « compulsory
schooling is a big step forward ».
The association LED’A (Les Enfants D’Abord – Children First), which does not share this opinion and has scientific studies to support this direction, reminds Minister Blanquer that the principle of the ‘separation of powers’ is not an option in our democracy. An incantation does not have the force of law, even when uttered by the head of state. For a law to be applicable, it first has to exist. For this to occur, it must be presented before our two Assemblies, and
the parliamentarians decide to adopt it, prior to its enactment. For now, this government executive is paying lip service and is quick to prohibit a public liberty, which has FOREVER been engraved in the marble of French law since 1882, by telling us about progress. For Minister Blanquer, it is as though the case is already closed. In the Vademecum (a text dedicated to home education, on the Eduscol website), elective home education has already been buried.
Exceptional Cases of Radicalisation
In this same Vademecum, dating from October 2020, on page 38 of Chapter 11 it states:
« Cases of children exposed to a risk of radicalisation detected during home education monitoring are exceptional”. Should we deduce that the executive has chosen to reply to the exception by suppressing the freedoms of the entire population? This would be fulfilling the objectives of the opponents of our democracy.
As a safeguard, the Senate has already answered this question in its report on Islamist radicalisation and the means to combat it. Its conclusions are clear: “Families have chosen home education without having the slightest intention of removing their child from the Republic. In my opinion, it is rather, up to the National Education Department to ensure that children at risk of radicalisation do not drop out of school. It is not about removing all freedom of choice from families”. Brushing aside this report from the Upper Chamber, Emmanuel Macron has decided to abolish family education. He is simply not qualified to do so.
The association LED’A, which appeals to the wisdom of our parliamentarians, recalls that the two chambers have not yet decided anything on the matter, as the bill is to be presented to the Council of Ministers on the 9th of December 2020. LED’A ensures the families who have made this educational choice of FREEDOM, that the association will use all the legal arsenal at their disposal to ensure that this right continues.
Les enfants d’abord, media team