Toulouse academy accused of massively refusing requests
With the law of August 24, 2021, parents wishing to homeschool are obliged to make a request to the rectorate. But faced with the vagueness of this law, great successes exist from one academy to another. Toulouse would have the highest refusal rate according to parents’ associations.
Mathilde has never been the rebellious type, but since Thursday, September 1, she has been outside the law.
The reason ? She is homeschooling. However, Mathilde and her husband have been taking care of homeschooling their children for two years. Since the 3 years of their eldest, Owen. “It was his choice, he never changed his mind and we respected him”, says the mother. Parents do things the right way and declare their child homeschooled. They are visited by a representative of the town hall as well as each year by a national education inspector. “His latest report documents a secure environment for rich and varied instruction”she adds. “So we weren’t worried when we applied for our youngest who will soon be 3 years old.” But this new request is refused. Owen can stay home but his sister Livia has to go back to school. Because in the meantime, the law has changed.
Since August 24, 2021 and the “separatism” law, the rules concerning home education have changed. A declaration followed by an inspection is no longer sufficient. Families must now make a request to the rectorate, a request motivated by one of the 4 accepted reasons: for health reasons, in order to allow intensive artistic or sports practice, because of a homeless life or too far from a school, or finally, by the presence of a situation specific to the child motivated by an educational project. The authorization regime replaces the declaration regime.
At the national level, we have 53% of positive answers to the title (of the criterion) 4. Where we sin at the level of the ministry, it is that there are very strong gaps and very strong contrasts between academies and departments as to the answers that are provided. In some departments, it’s a massive no. In others, academic services provide more open responses and so we absolutely need to balance things across the country.
Pap Ndiaye, Minister of National Education
Problem: the 4th pattern is quite vague and is not interpreted in the same way according to the academies. Faced with this situation, the Coopli association (Coordination for Freedom of Education) carried out a survey of families affiliated with associations of parents of home-schooled children. The results obtained a refusal for nearly half of the requests (46.6%). A figure that exceeds 50% on the academy of Toulouse. “Of all requests for reason 4, there were less than 5 files accepted in Toulouse, it is one of the most difficult academies”deplores Marina Souagnet, from the Nonsc’Ô Toulouse association.
Information denied by the rector of the academy. “There are different acceptance criteria and we have accepted more than 80% of the different requests to what can be said here or there”, oppose Mostafa Fourar. “Simply, certain relevant requests for reason 4, that is to say a project linked to the particular situation of the child, there we have a strong demand for children aged 3 years. We can see that for some families, it can be a lever to avoid compulsory schooling at 3 years and we are here to apply the law.
Many families are affected by these refusals to appeal to the administrative court. But for Mathilde and her daughter Livia, the decision was not made in their favor. “We are faced with two options: go against the interest and well-being of our daughter or enter into civil disobedience.” The family has decided: it will be civil disobedience.
There is the framework of the law and there is the interpretation of the law. We are in a new situation since the law was passed recently and its application is for this start of the school year. So the assessments may be different. We are in a democracy, parents who are not satisfied with the administrative decision can of course appeal to the administrative court and it is the judge who will guide us in the examination of future files.
Mostafa Fourar, rector of the Toulouse Academy
A situation suffered today by several families in Occitania. “Everyone is perfectly aware that home education is not a risk for our society or for children, while the scandals continue in the National Education (school harassment, shortage of teachers)”indignant Marina Soulagnet of the Nonsc’Ô Toulouse association. “Why prohibit these families from this choice of life, since the quality of their education is certified by a National Education inspector? »
To demonstrate, families are called to demonstrate on September 15th. The meeting is given in Toulouse, at 2 p.m. at the Prairie des Filtres.