All college students will have to follow this week an hour of awareness on the theme “harassment and social networks”, at the request of the Ministry of National Education.
Just a month ago, on May 12, 2023, Lindsay ended her life at her home in Vendin-le-Viel (Pas-de-Calais). The 13-year-old girl was the victim of school bullying. His family denounced the inaction of the authorities. Four complaints have been filed for “non-assistance to anyone in danger”, in particular against the principal of his college and the Lille academy. This questioning caused a reaction at the top of the State. Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne promised to “make the fight against bullying the absolute priority for the start of the 2023 school year”.
>> School harassment: “An hour of awareness” in all colleges in France from Monday, announces the Ministry of Education
The Minister of National Education assured Tuesday June 6 on franceinfo, after meeting Lindsay’s parents, that “additional resources” will be put in place. Thus, 3.4 million students from 6th to 3rd, in the 7,000 colleges in France, will follow an hour of awareness on the theme “harassment and social networks”, in the week of June 12 to 16, 2023, announced Sunday, June 11 Pap Ndiaye.
Because with applications like Snapchat, Instagram or Tiktok, harassment no longer stops at the college gates. The stalkers chase their victim to her home, on her phone. This sensitization should make it possible to alert these teenagers to the use of these social networks. It will also bethe opportunity to underline the responsibility of each“, advances Pap Ndiaye. The Minister of National Education also wants the facilitators of this hour of awareness to answer questions from students.
Principals and teachers denounce the haste of this announcement
In many establishments, this awareness hour will be difficult to organize. The school year is coming to an end. It’s a period”complicated“, notes Bruno Bobkiewicz, secretary general of the union of heads of establishments SNPDEN. He recalls that preventive actions are carried out throughout the year and therefore points “an announcement effect that gives the impression of an improvisation”.
The teachers are worried about having to organize this hour at the last minute. Because such an intervention is anticipated. It must be adapted to the age of the students, we do not address an 11-year-old student in the same way as a 14-year-old student. It is also necessary to take into account the context of the college: have there already been cases of harassment or not? Are there currently? Finally, to animate this hour of awareness of school bullying and on social networks, you have to be trained, you have to know the practices of young people.
>>> An hour of awareness on school harassment: “It’s not the period”, judges the association “Marion, the outstretched hand”
The Federation of Parents’ Councils (Fcpe) and the Federation of Parents of Public Education Pupils (Peep) share the concerns of teachers. These two organizations believe that “must act” but this awareness hour hastily organized at the end of the year, “is good below requirements”, and that the actions must be long-term. On franceinfo, Nora Fraisse, mother of Marion Fraisse, who was 13 when she ended her life, a victim of school harassment, also believes that “this is not necessarily the period“. Before the founder of the association “Marion, the outstretched hand” specifies that “it can’t be improvised“.
“We are at the end of the school career and it is the college certificate. These are students who are in class council soon, it’s not necessarily the right time, then it can’t be improvised“, declared Nora Fraisse who thinks “to the teachers and all those who will have to set up this educational project“, in a very short time. This project “requires time, preparation, accompaniment, reception of speech, collection of speech, warning families” also, she explained. Nora Fraisse would have preferred that the ministry concentrate on the first degree, in particular the CM2 “to prepare them for next year, to explain to them what awaits them. Not in a anxiety-provoking way, but to tell them about the student ambassadors” against harassment, “invite families, prepare for the start of the school year“, detailed the founder of the association.
Finally, all the representatives of parents, teachers and headteachers insist on the importance of involving families in this fight against bullying. For example, to help parents find answers if their children have questions or need to confide this week, the evening after awareness.