Neutrality and impartiality in public education: the French investment in philosophy, teaching about religions, and moral and civic education

Abstract

In France, there is no religious education in state schools. ‘Convictional education’ appeared by drawing its perimeter around three educational subjects: philosophy, teaching about religions, and moral and civic education. Today, the French school is facing new challenges in a highly secularised society on which religion is laying new claims. As an institution, it is not neutral insofar as it proceeds from a political philosophy that evolved from the French Revolution. It is within the operative framework of this philosophy and with specific teaching practices that it intends to combine unity and plurality within itself.

Keywords:

• France
• neutrality
• philosophy
• teaching about religions
• moral and civic education

Notes

1. See the famous ‘Letter to the teachers’ [Lettre aux instituteurs] by Jules Ferry in the [Ministry of Education] Bulletin of 17 November 1883, stating the need to teach moral issues that any head of family would endorse.

2. See also: Gaudin (2014, 129–152).

3. The appellation ‘religious facts’ is the designation for teaching about religions, in use in France.

4. I occasionally revert to the term ‘laïcité’ in this article, to refer to secularity in its policy aspects.

5. According to course programmes in ‘Moral and Civic Education’, these are are liberty, equality, fraternity, ‘laïcité’, solidarity, justice, respect and rejecting all kinds of discrimination.

6. The 22/08/1914, 17.000 French soldiers were sent to death.

7. Available at http://www.education.gouv.fr/pid25535/bulletin_officiel.html?cid_bo=73659 (accessed 04-07-2016).

8. Based on the circulars of the minister of education Jean Zay of 1936–1937 addressing agitation, propaganda and proselytising of any kind.

9. ‘La République ne reconnaît, ne salarie ni ne subventionne aucun culte.’

10. Religious topics are mainly covered in history class.

11. To quote the emblematic title of a book by Ferdinand Buisson, La foi laïque.

12. The term is derived from Durkheim’s ‘social fact’.

13. Its website can be found at <www.iesr.ephe.sorbonne.fr>.

14. See also Béraud and Willaime (2009).

15. The Charte sur la laïcité à l’école can be retrieved from the website of the French Ministry of Education at <eduscol.education.fr/cid73652/charte-de-la-laicite-a-l-ecole.html>, together with relevant educational resources and article by article commentaries.

16. Emphasis added.

17. See the French Law No. 2013-595 of 8 July 2013.