French teachers having observed teaching objections due to private convictions 2022

In 2022, one-third of French teachers had already experienced challenges in teaching or teaching content about gender diversity in the name of religious beliefs in middle schools.

Meanings associated with secularism

The meanings associated with secularism are diverse, and vary according to individuals: in 2023 when asked about it, some associated the principle of secularism with reducing the influence of religion on French society (24 percent of the respondents aged 65 and over), separating politics and religion (42 percent of the respondents aged 65 and over), putting different religions on an equal footing (39 percent of the respondents aged between 18 and 24), or ensuring freedom of conscience (31 percent of the respondents aged between 25 and 34).

Threats to secularism

Nearly three years after Samuel Paty, a history and geography teacher, was murdered by an Islamist after showing Mohammed caricatures in class, almost seven out of ten French people considered that secularism was still in danger. Moreover, a large majority of the French people favored the 2004 law prohibiting students from wearing religious symbols at school, indeed there was around 82 percent of those surveyed who thought that way.