PARIS—After a spate of violent incidents in schools, French Education Minister Xavier Darcos triggered a major political outcry by proposing controversial measures to fight rising insecurity in France’s public schools.
Last week, Darcos suggested installing security gates at the entrance of every secondary school in France to prevent any weapons from entering. On Tuesday, the minister went one step further by suggesting the creation special “squads” focused on preventing violence in schools.
In an interview on i-Tele television, Darcos said school officers cannot take on these additional duties and that “other people should be there to protect our schools. I suggest setting up squads to prevent [violence] and help our personnel.”
On May 15, near the southern city of Toulouse, a 13-year old student stabbed a female teacher in the chest with a kitchen knife, nearly killing her. A few days later in another city, an education counselor was severely beaten by a student. On May 25, a 17-year old student was sent to the emergency room in critical condition after being beaten with a hammer by one of his classmates.
However, even in his own political camp, Darcos’ proposals are not fully supported. Martin Hirsch, high commissioner for Solidarity and Youth, said he does not think it would be appropriate to make “schools look like airports” even if body searches in schools where violence has occurred is acceptable.
Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie expressed doubts about making the regional administrators of public schools assume police duties by being entitled to perform body searches on students.
“We are not going to have a police station in each school, nor create squads for every single problem we meet,” she told Le Journal du Dimanche, a weekly newspaper.
“Some people are afraid of the word ‘[body] search’. ... I am not when it is to prevent knives and other weapons from entering schools,” said Darcos, who has been able to gain support from a significant portion of teachers who fear for their own safety.
Critics point out that countries with endemic violence such as the United States have had to think twice after installing security gates in schools due to the extra organization necessary to operate the system.
In light of the increased violence, the Sarkozy government’s reform of the French education system has drawn criticism from political opponents, unionists, and worried parents.
Unionists claim the increased violence is a consequence of government cuts to personnel in schools, resulting in less authority over students and a lowering of the quality of education.
To leftist opponents such as the Socialist Party, President Sarkozy’s government is simply trying to focus its campaign on the security front, where it could find a reservoir of votes for the upcoming June 7 European parliamentary elections. Anticipated to soon leave the government, Xavier Darcos may be offering his last service to Sarkozy.
Last week, Darcos suggested installing security gates at the entrance of every secondary school in France to prevent any weapons from entering. On Tuesday, the minister went one step further by suggesting the creation special “squads” focused on preventing violence in schools.
In an interview on i-Tele television, Darcos said school officers cannot take on these additional duties and that “other people should be there to protect our schools. I suggest setting up squads to prevent [violence] and help our personnel.”
On May 15, near the southern city of Toulouse, a 13-year old student stabbed a female teacher in the chest with a kitchen knife, nearly killing her. A few days later in another city, an education counselor was severely beaten by a student. On May 25, a 17-year old student was sent to the emergency room in critical condition after being beaten with a hammer by one of his classmates.
However, even in his own political camp, Darcos’ proposals are not fully supported. Martin Hirsch, high commissioner for Solidarity and Youth, said he does not think it would be appropriate to make “schools look like airports” even if body searches in schools where violence has occurred is acceptable.
Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie expressed doubts about making the regional administrators of public schools assume police duties by being entitled to perform body searches on students.
“We are not going to have a police station in each school, nor create squads for every single problem we meet,” she told Le Journal du Dimanche, a weekly newspaper.
“Some people are afraid of the word ‘[body] search’. ... I am not when it is to prevent knives and other weapons from entering schools,” said Darcos, who has been able to gain support from a significant portion of teachers who fear for their own safety.
Critics point out that countries with endemic violence such as the United States have had to think twice after installing security gates in schools due to the extra organization necessary to operate the system.
In light of the increased violence, the Sarkozy government’s reform of the French education system has drawn criticism from political opponents, unionists, and worried parents.
Unionists claim the increased violence is a consequence of government cuts to personnel in schools, resulting in less authority over students and a lowering of the quality of education.
To leftist opponents such as the Socialist Party, President Sarkozy’s government is simply trying to focus its campaign on the security front, where it could find a reservoir of votes for the upcoming June 7 European parliamentary elections. Anticipated to soon leave the government, Xavier Darcos may be offering his last service to Sarkozy.
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