It is a study that says a lot about perceptions and the right to criticise religions in school. The study was conducted by Ifop for Licra and Droit de Vivre and included a sample of 10,006 people representative of the student body aged 15 and over, and was conducted online from January 15 to 20, 2021. It addressed several topics, including religiosity and the right to criticise religion in school.
When asked about the norms and rules set by the respondents’ religion, 40% of high school students think they are more important than the laws of the republic. This is almost twice as many as in the French population as a whole. By religious affiliation, 65% of Muslims hold this opinion, while 30% of Catholics do. It should be noted that agreement is higher among high school students in suburbs (55%) than in cities or “affluent” suburbs (43%) or in the countryside (31%). An identical finding applies to the statement “Your religion is the only true religion”. Again, 39% of high school students agree, compared to two-thirds of Muslims. From a sociological point of view, 76% of pupils in specialised schools believe that their religion is above the laws of the Republic, most of them being female and most of them coming from the Île-de-France region (52%).
The study, conducted by Ifop for Licra and Droit de Vivre, also shows that 71% of the high school students surveyed believe that “teachers must respect religions so as not to offend believers” – this is more than the national average, and Muslims seem to believe this more strongly (82%) than Catholics or atheists (69%). In contrast, less than two-thirds of respondents think it is “justified that teachers can show their pupils drawings that caricature or make fun of religions to illustrate the forms of freedom of expression”. This is less than the totality of French people. On this point, 71% of high school students with no religious affiliation agreed, while less than 20% of Muslims agreed.
Another issue addressed in the study is the murder of Samuel Paty in October 2020. While 87 % of high school students condemn it “completely”, 2 % – after all – do not condemn it and 6 % are indifferent. Focusing on Muslim students, a total of 13% definitely do not condemn the killing of Samuel Paty. Of all these pupils, 21 % are in a special education zone (zone d’éducation prioritaire).
The students and teachers were also asked about religious education at school. Has it ever happened that students have questioned content taught during their school years in the name of religion? Yes, in more than half of these grammar schools taught in focus areas, and in all areas. That is practically more than twice as many as in the other grammar schools. Almost three quarters of the grammar school pupils in priority areas have observed this at least once, and the overall average is 48%. On this point, Ifop notes that 70% of Muslim pupils are affected by this.
Other noticeable elements: 47% of high school students have noticed that ” menus corresponding to denominational practices ” have been requested (more than half in priority areas); a quarter that girls did not participate in physical education “in the name of religious beliefs” (almost half in priority areas); while 24% have refused to enter religious sites during school trips (46% in priority areas). Overall, almost two-thirds of high school students observed certain expressions of “religious” views by other students, according to Ifop.
Finally, do high school students share the viewpoint of students who dispute teaching in the name of their religion? More than half (53%) answer in the affirmative, especially with regard to moral and civic education, sex education, girls’ and boys’ equality, natural and earth sciences, and history and geography. 40% of Muslim pupils have already endorsed such expressions of faith at least once, according to the study.
To all the worlds moslems living in civilized countries.
If you prefer sharia law why aren’t you living in a moslem country?
Because they’ve come to establish Shariah over the infidels.
And they will. Soon enough.