In Conflans-Sainte-Honorine (Yvelines), the Bois-d’Aulne school, where Samuel Paty taught, should soon be named after the history and geography teacher murdered by an Islamist terrorist on October 16, 2020. The school council The administration voted in favor in September, as did the city council. The departmental council, the decision-making body on the issue, must rule on Friday, October 18.
The idea of this name change arose very quickly after the attack, Samuel Paty’s parents were in favor, but, within the school, this new name generated division. It was decided to delay: only the CDI took the name of the murdered professor. “Grieving takes time. (…) It takes time for us to see this name every day without it making us shake or cry. (…) “Samuel Paty is not a symbol for us, but a colleague”comments Suzanne (name has been changed), a teacher from Bois-d’Aulne, in the France Inter podcast “Samuel Paty, school against terrorism”.
The last 6 students.my Those who knew Samuel Paty left the establishment in June and are now in high school. Local elected officials believe the timing is appropriate. “Four years later, we can move forward with this name change with greater peace of mind”estimates Laurent Brosse, mayor (Horizons) of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine and departmental councillor.
lack of consultation
The parents of the students remain cautious, although this position is difficult to assume due to the strong symbolic load. “Time does its work, but the children, the parents, the neighbors who experienced the event remain very marked”observes Cécile Ribet-Retel, president of the PEEP of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine. He regrets that support and consultation work was not proposed with the entire educational community.
In addition to the essentially unique situation in Bois-d’Aulne, nine schools and one college have adopted the name Samuel Paty in eight cities over the past four years. Another five are located in a square, an esplanade or an alley that bears the last name of the decapitated teacher, according to data provided by the Ministry of National Education. The future secondary school in Montévrain (Seine-et-Marne) should be named after the murdered teacher, announced the president of the Ile-de-France region, Valérie Pécresse, in April 2024.
Except for the school in Buxières-les-Mines (Allier), renamed in 2022, where Samuel Paty’s parents taught, these establishments do not have a direct link with the history and geography teacher. The initiative for this name comes from local elected officials, who see it as a strong political act against terrorism. “What could be more fair than naming a school after a teacher”says Michaël Delafosse, socialist mayor of Montpellier, also a history and geography professor. A school in the city has been named after Samuel Paty since the start of the 2021 school year. The square in front of one of the universities will soon be named after Dominique Bernard, the literature teacher killed by a terrorist in Arras (Pass-). of Calais), in October 2023. “Our decisions cannot be guided by fear”affirms the councilor, very involved in the defense of secularism.
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