Accusing him of providing teaching “contrary to the values of the Republic”, the prefect of Hauts-de-France decided to put an end to public subsidies. The parents consider it obvious that “it is the motive for the confession of the members of the association” which is in question.
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The parents’ association of the Averroès Muslim high school in Lille (North), a private establishment receiving public subsidies since last December by decision of the prefecture, filed a complaint on Thursday for “discrimination”, Franceinfo learned on Friday April 26 from the association’s lawyer, Me Nabil Boudi, confirming information from RTL.
Last December, the Hauts-de-France prefecture decided to end public subsidies for the Averroès high school, the main Muslim secondary school in France. The prefect had accused the high school, open for 20 years and regularly ranked among the best in the region, of teaching “contrary to the values of the Republic”.
In this complaint filed this Thursday, which franceinfo was able to consult, the parents of high school students denounce a “constant handling” and “false accusations” from the regional prefect. “It appears obvious that it is the reason for the confession of the members of the association which led the Prefect to terminate the association contract”they write in this complaint, pointing out a “difference in treatment”notably with the Stanislas establishment in Paris.
One of two Muslim high schools under contract in France
The Averroès high school, which currently has 472 students, opened in 2003 with the support of the former Union of Islamic Organizations of France (UOIF, which became Muslims of France and emerged from the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood movement), in the wake of the ban on the veil in school premises. Becoming the first Muslim high school to go under contract in 2008, it is one of only two Muslim high schools under contract in France, with the Al-Kindi high school near Lyon (174 students).
Last Monday, the Hauts-de-France region was ordered by the Council of State to pay subsidies to the establishment for the year 2022-2023. They amount for the 2022-2023 school year to 287,000 euros.
