What is Laïcité?

THE SECURALISM (or laïcité in French) is the separation between the religions and the state. It means that public institutions must be neutral and independant from religious organisations.

This principle was created to reinforce the equality between French citizens. There is no distinction made between people with different beliefs, everyone has the same rights and is considered equal.

At school, the laïcité is one of the most important values, not to say the most important. When you go to school, every distinct religious sign must be hidden or taken off, for example we can’t show crosses as necklaces, we can’t wear a hijab or a kipa.

Everyone must be neutral despite their religious convictions. Education and Religion must be separated in public schools.

The laïcité is even more important in primary school because it’s an age where you use what you hear and what you see to create your own ideas.

Not allowing religious signs and not talking about our own convictions in class (especially the teachers) guarantees that children are not influenced by adults or anyone else.

In 1905, the law which separates the State and the Church was created, and it has completely changed society in France. The Laïcité was born! Then, in 2004, the law about the religious signs at public school was voted.

To sum up, the laïcité at school is mainly based on this idea of neutrality which enables children to grow without being influenced.

But the definition of the laïcité, written in « La charte de la laïcité à l’école » (the charter of laïcité at school), also highlights the equality between girls and boys, the importance of free will etc.

In France every student must sign the charter of laïcité at the beginning of the school year.

If you want to read this charter, here is a website that contains the charter in English (and 8 other languages): La charte de la laïcité traduite en 9 langues - CASNAV - Pédagogie - Académie de Poitiers (ac-poitiers. fr).

However, there are still many debates around the question of Laïcité nowadays.

Some people would like to witness a comeback to a non-laïc country even if most of French people are used to the idea of securalism and want to remain in this system.

Text Jade Verdure and Pierre-Louis Maurice