2012-09-08 Ranska: Koululaisille uusi oppiaine?

[chacha2]

Ranskan opetusministerin Vincent Peillonin ehdotus:

French minister in unholy row over morality classes

France's education minister Vincent Peillon has called for "secular morality" classes to be introduced in schools, leading to a stinging accusation from his predecessor that his announcement echoes an appeal by disgraced Vichy leader Marshal Pétain.
By Ben MCPARTLAND (text)

France's Education Minister Vincent Peillon was embroiled in an unholy row on Tuesday over the matter of "secular morality" in state schools.

Peillon's announcement that he wants the subject to be taught in schools from 2013 has been criticised by his predecessor who accused him of harking back to a dark period of the country's history.

Luc Chatel, the rightwing education minister in former president Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP government, said Peillon's call for "secular morality" echoed the words of Marshal Pétain, who led the Nazi-allied regime, known as Vichy France, during World War II.

After France fell to Germany, Pétain vowed to rid the country of its "moral decadence".

Describing Peillon's words as "frightening", Chatel said that seeking the "intellectual and moral reeducation" of France's young people echoed "word for word the call of Marshal Pétain on June 25, 1940".

His attack on Peillon may need to be taken with a pinch of salt given the fact that he himself, back in 2011, announced the introduction of morality classes for primary school children.

Children need to be taught how to 'live together'

Referencing Vichy to slur rivals has been a common trait in French politics over the years, as is the debate surrounding the country's deep-rooted secular values, known as laïcité in French.

Peillon's latest bid to introduce a secular moral code for France's youngsters is aimed, he says, at helping them "live together".

In an interview with the French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche, Peillon said there were certain core values of the republic that he wanted children to learn and understand.

According to Peillon, secular morality is to "understand what is right and to distinguish good from evil. It is also about knowing your duties as much as your rights - and above all it's about values," Peillon said.

"Secularism is not about simple tolerance, it's not about 'anything goes'. It is a set of values that we have to share," he added. "To be shared, these values need to be taught and learned and we need to rebuild them among France's children."

Teaching French children Republican values will not require them to salute the tricolour flag, Peillon says, but he is in favour of them learning the Marseillaise, the French national anthem.

His proposal, which will be formulated over the coming months, has received a rather lukewarm reception among France's legion of teachers.

"Children need to express themselves"

For primary school teacher Daniel Labaquere, who represents the union SNUipp, there are better ways of educating children than teaching strict moral codes.

"In France we talk a lot about values like liberté, egalité and fraternité," Labaquere told FRANCE 24. "But these values can be achieved by a school helping children to grow and develop their personalities and by allowing them to express themselves."

"It shouldn't be done simply be writing a set of moral codes on the blackboard and forcing pupils to learn them off by heart."

Philosopher and specialist in secularism, Henri Pena Ruiz is also concerned that teaching secular morality in schools may well undermine the fundamental principal of laïcité and the reasons why France chose to separate its church from the state.

"We can't just replace Christian instruction with Republican instruction for there is no point just aping religious indoctrination with secularist indoctrination," Ruiz told Le Journal du Dimanche.

Parent groups have also expressed reservations about schools taking on the task of teaching morality to pupils.

"This should not encroach upon the role of the parents," warned Valérie Marty of the Federation of State School Parents (PEEP). "Researchers looking into this must clearly define the roles of each side."

Peillon did however earn the backing of his president boss François Hollande this week.

Hollande had pledged to strenthen France's strict secular values during his presidential campaign.  He also vowed to make young people, and in particular schools, the focal point of his mandate. He has promised to create 60,000 jobs in education over the next five years.

"A good school," Hollande said, is one that teaches "dignity, respect, consideration and personal reflection."

http://www.france24.com/en/20120904-france-schools-chief-accused-echoing-vichy-leader-secularism-laicite-education-religion boldaukset omat

FRANCE AND THE PRINCIPLE OF LAÏCITÉ
The word laïcité, roughly translated as secularism, has no exact equivalent in English. It refers to a core principle of the French Republic, which had its origins in the French Revolution and was consecrated by a 1905 law separating church and state.  The law protects the right to freedom of worship, but rules that religion should play no role in government or public institutions, particularly state schools. The principle of laïcité enjoys broad backing across France's political spectrum and is passionately defended when the position of religion in French society arises. In 2004 a controversial law was passed banning the wearing of religious symbols, including muslim veils, in schools. This led some to portray France's reinforement of laïcité simply as an attack on the influence of Islam in the country. Many Muslims in France supported the law however.

[Marjapussi]

Teaching French children Republican values will not require them to salute the tricolour flag, Peillon says, but he is in favour of them learning the Marseillaise, the French national anthem."

Eikai tämmöiset aloitteet koske kuin han-ranskalaisia. Oikeauskoisillahan moraaliasiat ovatkin jo aina oikeita ilman opetustakin ja asuinmaan arvojen kunnioittamen tuskin koskee heitä.

[chacha2]

Minusta tämä kohta oli aika valaiseva:

Luc Chatel, the rightwing education minister in former president Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP government, said Peillon's call for "secular morality" echoed the words of Marshal Pétain, who led the Nazi-allied regime, known as Vichy France, during World War II.
...
His attack on Peillon may need to be taken with a pinch of salt given the fact that he himself, back in 2011, announced the introduction of morality classes for primary school children.

Kamalat nämä Ranskan nykydemarit, natseja kaikki. Mihin maailma on menossa?

Vai olisiko niin että Ranskassa tilanne on aika huolestuttava, jopa niin huolestuttava että keinot rupeavat olemaan vähissä.

[Eino P. Keravalta]

Children need to be taught how to 'live together'

Kysyisin, että miten tämä opetetaan lapsille, kun aikuisetkaan eivät tiedä sitä.

Kun eri ryhmät eivät tule toimeen keskenään, se johtuu siitä, että niillä on erilainen käsitys siitä, millä kohtaa "karttaa" olemme, mihin olemme menossa, miksi ja millä keinoin. Nämä ovat arvojen eroja, jotka tulevat esiin erilaisina kulttuureina ja maailmankäsityksinä. Toisinsanoen kyse on rikkaudesta ja moninaisuudesta. Ja juuri tämä rikkaus ja moninaisuus on syy sille, miksi ihmiset eivät tule toimeen keskenään: jos ihmisillä olisikin vain yksi kulttuuri, yksi kieli, yksi arvomaailma, yksi logiikka, yksi päämäärä, yksi uskonto, yksi maailmankäsitys, yksi tapaetiketti ja yksi geenipooli, he tulisivatkin loistavasti toimeen keskenään. Näin ei kuitenkaan ole. Ja vaikka joku kuinka toivoisi, että näin olisi, faktat eivät muutu edes toiveikkaimman ja lapsellisimman ideologian sokeuden edessä.

Ja niin on hyvä.

[chacha2]

Opetusministeri on vihdoin kertonut lisää suunnitelmastaan :

France unveils 'secular charter' for all schools
Published: 09 Sep 2013 11:04 GMT+02:00 | Print version
Updated: 09 Sep 2013 11:04 GMT+02:00

France's education minister finally unveiled his much-talked about "secularism charter" on Monday morning aimed at keeping religion out of schools. One of the rules of the charter forbids pupils from questioning teachers "in the name of their religious beliefs".

Education Minister Vincent Peillon says his new secular charter, which was revealed on Monday after 10am, is designed to promote "absolute respect for freedom of conscience".

The document is to appear in a prominent place in every school, in the form of a poster and is remind teachers and pupils of a list of secular, Republican principles.

The charter, which contains 15 articles, was officially unveiled in a special ceremony at a Lycée in Ferté-sous-Jouarre in the Seine et Marne department, near Paris.

The document itself contains a number of broad, philosophical principles, that have already provoked a backlash.

Article 9 states: "Secularism implies the rejection of all violence and all discrimination, guarantees equality between girls and boys, and rests on a culture of respect and understanding of the other."

While the charter allows for pupils' free expression, article number 11 states that "Staff have a duty of strict neutrality. They must not show their political or religious convictions in the exercise of their duties."

Article 11 emphasises the famous French Enlightenment values of scientific inquiry, and appears to prevent any possible disputes over evolution or sex education. "Lessons are secular...No subject is a priori excluded from scientific and pedagogic questioning. No student can invoke their political or religious convictions, in order to dispute a teacher's right to address a question on the syllabus."

In practice that means teaching staff must never give any indication of their religious (or political) convictions during lessons and that pupils cannot use their faith as a reason to challenge the content of the national
curriculum, the manner of teaching or the rules of the school.

Of course, the charter affirms France's 2004 law, which banned the wearing of all "ostentatious religious symbols," and Article 13 appears to emphasise the point, perhaps as regards activities like sports and athletics.

"Nobody can avail of their religious affiliation in order to refuse to obey rules applicable in our schools."

Speaking to the Journal du Dimanche  newspaper on Sunday, Peillon said: "The first article of our constitution states that the Republic is indivisible, democratic, social and secular."

"The school must teach these values, explain their meanings and their history. Because if we do not teach them, we should not be surprised if they were misunderstood or even ignored," he said.

Previously Peillon said: "Everyone has a right to their opinions. But not to dispute lessons or miss classes [for religious reasons]," he added.

'Attack on Islam'

The minister has dismissed criticism from some quarters that the charter is just a veiled attack on Islam.

Abdallah Zekri, for example, president of the Observatory on Islamophobia told Le Parisien he felt "targeted" by the charter.

"This charter was supposedly made to combat communitarianism...But honestly, I feel targeted because now when anyone talks about 'communitarianism,' they're really talking about Muslims," he said.

Peillon, however, has said: "The vast majority of our Muslim compatriots are convinced of the benefits of secularism."

The project has provoked a mixed reaction in France, with some questioning the application of secular principles, and others claiming the measure doesn't go far enough in enforcing France's particularly strict church-state separation.

"The reality is that in the last few years, the Left has singularly lacked courage in the difficult struggle to defend secularism," said Michèle Tabarot, a centre-right opposition UMP deputy.

"This decision is totally in keeping with the pussyfooting image of this government."

Peillon's predecessor as education minister, however, Luc Chatel from the opposition UMP party, expressed his tentative support for the charter.

"Any time we can give children a point of reference as to what the Republic is, and what our values are, that's a good thing," he told France Info radio on Monday.

Other critics wonder whether the model is suitable for modern-day, multicultural France and accuse the government of double standards.

They question whether a truly secular school system would allow Christmas trees or December visits by Santa Claus, and whether it would still observe holidays on Christian Saints days.

While the vast majority of school canteens dish up fish every Friday - in keeping with Roman Catholic tradition - any principal who provides halal meat for Muslim students risks incurring the wrath of militant secularists, whose cause is enthusiastically backed by the far-right, anti-immigration Front National.

Interpreting the rules correctly has proved a headache for school leaders.

Earlier this year a Muslim girl was excluded from her school after a headband and long skirt were deemed to constitute overtly religious garb. The exclusion was overturned on appeal and her parents are now suing the school for racial discrimination.

The legislation has also caused much anguish among France's 30,000 Sikhs, whose male children are required by their faith to cover their hair from an early age.

In practice, many primary schools have continued to allow younger Sikh boys to wear the Rumal, a handkerchief-type covering, but turbans are banned - a situation that effectively results in many Sikh teenagers giving up school earlier than they otherwise would.

http://www.thelocal.fr/20130909/france-to-unveil-seculariam-charter-in-schools boldaukset oma

[normi]

Kuulostaa kovin kansallissosialistiselta... sosialistit ovat aina olleet viehättyneitä mielipiteenmuokkauksesta.

[chacha2]

Vai olisiko niin että Ranskassa tilanne on aika huolestuttava, jopa niin huolestuttava että keinot rupeavat olemaan vähissä.

Tässä (oma) vastaus:

Minä törmäsin nimittäin tämmöiseen ranskalaiseen kouluraporttiin:
Rapport au Premier ministre pour l'année 2010
Les défis de l'intégration à l'école
et
Recommandations du Haut Conseil à l'intégration au Premier ministre relatives à l'expression religieuse dans les espaces publics de la République
Haut Conseil à l'intégration
http://www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/var/storage/rapports-publics//114000053/0000.pdf

Tämän pitkän raportin mukaan oppilaiden eri taustat ja uskonnot tuottavat Ranskan koululaitoksille mittavat ongelmat ja
suuret hasteet yhteiskunnalle (kun yhteinen arvopohja ei löydy).
Raportin loppupäätelmä:

le Haut Conseil à l'Intégration demande que la France :
-   réaffirme par la voix de son école les valeurs de la République ;
-   refuse le déterminisme des origines et des cultures ;
-   surmonte les obstacles nouveaux qui se dressent sur la route de l'intégration en augmentant radicalement les moyens de cette politique.
L'objectif de tous les Français doit être de vivre dans une société unie dans ses différences par les principes républicains que l'histoire nationale a construit, dans une même communauté de destin.

s 127-128

Lyhyesti sanottuna, jos tavoitteena on elää tulevaisuudessa yhdessä, erilaisina ihmisinä mutta yhteisellä kohtalolla (säilyttäen Ranskaa sekuläärinä maana), niin koulun tulee hylätä monikulttuurisuusaatetta ja vahvistaa se arvopohja millä Ranska on rakennettu.
Sama pätenee Suomeenkin.

alleviivaus lisätty

[chacha2]

The Local raportoi

Sikhs want freedom from France's secular laws

Published: 24 Sep 2013 08:57

France's Sikh community is ramping up a campaign for the turban to be allowed in state-funded schools amid moves to reinforce a 2004 law banning pupils from wearing religious symbols.
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France's Education Minister Vincent Peillon has unveiled a new charter on secularity which must be displayed in government-funded schools explaining in child-friendly language why the Jewish skullcap and the Star of David, the Sikh turban, crucifixes and the Islamic veil are taboo.

But the 30,000-strong Sikh community in France argue that they are the victims of ignorance.

They see the recent official emphasis on secularism as being primarily the result of opposition to the Islamic veil and broader tensions with the largest Muslim community in Europe, and say they have been caught in the crossfire.
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Sikhism was founded five centuries ago in the Indian subcontinent and its cornerstones are the principles of equality and fraternity. It was a reaction to the Hindu caste system and the prevailing Islamic perception and treatment of non-believers as "infidels".
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Turban makes everybody a king

The religion does not seek to proselytise. And its only link with terrorism has been confined to India and Indian targets in the wake of a now defunct separatist movement to carve a Sikh homeland called Khalistan out of the
Indian state of Punjab.

The extremist attacks peaked after then Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi controversially ordered the June 1984 storming of Sikhdom's holiest shrine to flush out separatists holed up inside.

That military operation led to Gandhi's assassination in October of that year by two Sikh bodyguards which sparked a wave of anti-Sikh riots in India and claimed thousands of lives. But Sikh extremism has since died out.

Bikramjit Singh, a suave 27-year-old working as an engineer, was also expelled from his school in 2004. He argues that the turban symbolised equality - the fundamental pillar of the French Revolution of 1789.

"In medieval times in India only the Muslim aristocracy and officials were allowed to wear turbans, while among the Hindus it was only reserved for the priestly class. Our religion undid all that," he said.

"In France, they cut off a king's head to make everyone equal, while we used a turban to make everyone a king," he said.

Another problem for Sikhs - who have won landmark legal battles on the turban issue in the United States, Britain and Canada among other countries - is that they are often mistaken for Muslims in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks because of their headgear and beards.

A recent study conducted in the United States by Stanford University and an advocacy group showed that more than two-thirds of Americans could not identify Sikhs by their turbans and most mistook them for Muslims.

The situation is the same in France, said Joginder Singh, a middle-aged carpenter and odd-jobs man.

"The British have been able to manage and integrate their former subjects far better, while in France they are still struggling to deal with north Africans and Muslims," he said. "And meanwhile we become the casualties of this mess."

http://www.thelocal.fr/20130924/sikhs-demand-freedom-from-frances-secular-laws pari boldausta omat

Monikulttuurisuus aiheuttaa ongelmia Ranskassa. Integraatio ei ihan pelaa.
Nyt ranskalaiset sihkit eivät ole tyytyväisiä . Uusi laki ja sekuläärinen koulu eivät ollenkaan miellytä heitä.
Sikhit väittävät että Ranska yrittää uuden lain avulla ratkaista ongelmat lähinnä musliimiyhteisönsä kanssa. Mutta että sivulliset (eli sikhit) kärsivät tästä sotkusta.

[Sunt Lacrimae]

Children need to be taught how to 'live together'

Kysyisin, että miten tämä opetetaan lapsille, kun aikuisetkaan eivät tiedä sitä.

Kun eri ryhmät eivät tule toimeen keskenään, se johtuu siitä, että niillä on erilainen käsitys siitä, millä kohtaa "karttaa" olemme, mihin olemme menossa, miksi ja millä keinoin. Nämä ovat arvojen eroja, jotka tulevat esiin erilaisina kulttuureina ja maailmankäsityksinä. Toisinsanoen kyse on rikkaudesta ja moninaisuudesta. Ja juuri tämä rikkaus ja moninaisuus on syy sille, miksi ihmiset eivät tule toimeen keskenään: jos ihmisillä olisikin vain yksi kulttuuri, yksi kieli, yksi arvomaailma, yksi logiikka, yksi päämäärä, yksi uskonto, yksi maailmankäsitys, yksi tapaetiketti ja yksi geenipooli, he tulisivatkin loistavasti toimeen keskenään. Näin ei kuitenkaan ole. Ja vaikka joku kuinka toivoisi, että näin olisi, faktat eivät muutu edes toiveikkaimman ja lapsellisimman ideologian sokeuden edessä.

Ja niin on hyvä.

Näin metaforisesti: Vaikka opettaisit kuinka lapselle, että kuuma liesi ei satu kun siihen panee sormen, sattuu se silti. Lapsi on Eurooppa ja kuuma liesi islamilainen maailma.