PARIS: Trade unions and anti-racism groups have criticized an initiative by the French interior ministry to check on the number of Muslim children who skipped school last month to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr.
The festival, which concludes the holy month of Ramadan, is observed as a holiday in Muslim-majority countries and fell on Friday, April 21, for most believers this year.
France’s interior ministry said Sunday that it had ordered “an evaluation of the level of absenteeism recorded on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr.”
The ministry “regularly studies the impact of some religious festivals on the workings of public services, and notably in the educational sector,” said a statement from junior minister Sonia Backes.
In the city of Toulouse, police asked the heads of local schools to report the number of absent children on April 21, leading to accusations that authorities were creating a registry — which was denied by Backes.
The country’s biggest teachers’ union, the FSU, said in a statement addressed to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on Monday that it “harshly denounces this operation.”
“Attempting to create statistics by security forces on religious beliefs and their observance or not, above all in a school environment, goes against the basic principles of secularism and fundamental rights,” it said.
The smaller CGT Educ’ation union called it a “scandalous and dangerous stigmatization.”
Using police to carry out the checks was “particularly shocking because it associates the observance of the Islamic religion to an issue of security,” the anti-racism group SOS Racisme said.
France has a strict form of secularism that seeks to separate the state and its various branches from religion and religious bodies, while guaranteeing the freedom to worship to all.
Collecting information about ethnicity or religious beliefs is also generally prohibited in France under the country’s anti-discrimination laws.
Owing to the country’s Catholic heritage, major Christian festivals such as Christmas or Easter are observed as public holidays in France when schools are closed.
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Outcry in France over checks on children skipping school for Eid
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Outcry in France over checks on children skipping school for Eid
- France’s interior ministry said Sunday that it had ordered “an evaluation of the level of absenteeism recorded on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr”
Swiss interior minister open to social media ban for children
ZURICH: Switzerland must do more to shield children from social media risks, Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider was quoted as saying on Sunday, signalling she was open to a potential ban on the platforms for youngsters.
Following Australia’s recent ban on social media for under-16s, Baume-Schneider told SonntagsBlick newspaper that Switzerland should examine similar measures.
“The debate in Australia and the EU is important. It must also be conducted in Switzerland. I am open to a social media ban,” said the minister, a member of the center-left Social Democrats. “We must better protect our children.”
She said authorities needed to look at what should be restricted, listing options such as banning social media use by children, curbing harmful content, and addressing algorithms that prey on young people’s vulnerabilities.
Detailed discussions will begin in the new year, supported by a report on the issue, Baume-Schneider said, adding: “We mustn’t forget social media platforms themselves: they must take responsibility for what children and young people consume.”
Australia’s ban has won praise from many parents and groups advocating for the welfare of children, and drawn criticism from major technology companies and defenders of free speech.
Earlier this month, the parliament of the Swiss canton of Fribourg voted to prohibit children from using mobile phones at school until they are about 15, the latest step taken at a local level in Switzerland to curb their use in schools.
Following Australia’s recent ban on social media for under-16s, Baume-Schneider told SonntagsBlick newspaper that Switzerland should examine similar measures.
“The debate in Australia and the EU is important. It must also be conducted in Switzerland. I am open to a social media ban,” said the minister, a member of the center-left Social Democrats. “We must better protect our children.”
She said authorities needed to look at what should be restricted, listing options such as banning social media use by children, curbing harmful content, and addressing algorithms that prey on young people’s vulnerabilities.
Detailed discussions will begin in the new year, supported by a report on the issue, Baume-Schneider said, adding: “We mustn’t forget social media platforms themselves: they must take responsibility for what children and young people consume.”
Australia’s ban has won praise from many parents and groups advocating for the welfare of children, and drawn criticism from major technology companies and defenders of free speech.
Earlier this month, the parliament of the Swiss canton of Fribourg voted to prohibit children from using mobile phones at school until they are about 15, the latest step taken at a local level in Switzerland to curb their use in schools.
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