the Minister of National Education presents her “apologies” after comments that shocked

“I very simply apologize to the families who were hurt.” Guest of franceinfo Thursday May 9, the Minister of National Education and Youth, Nicole Belloubet, returned to comments she made on April 22 and which sparked controversy. “A disruptive student can be disruptive because he is in physical difficulty or because there is a disability”she declared on France 2.

“A student with a disability is not, by definition, a disruptive student”replied the Disability Collective in a letter, dated April 26. “This statement shocked our members and families because it was interpreted as a mark of ignorance of disabilities and contempt for years of struggle in favor of a school for all,” added this collective which represents “54 national associations”.

“Very clearly, it was clumsiness,” assures Nicole Belloubet. “It is all the more clumsy since one of my primary concerns in our current school is really to set up what we call school for all, that is to say school which welcomes all students, absolutely all students”, she says.

“Of course we need more resources” to accommodate students with disabilities, underlines the minister. “I already have some: at the start of the 2024 school year, we will recruit 3,000 AESH [accompagnants d’élèves en situation de handicap] additional, and we will continue in this direction, of course”she promises.