Today's Date:

Education debate - Communiqué issued by Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Prime Minister (excerpts)

Paris, 31 December 2003

This morning Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin convened a meeting of all France's chief education officers in the presence of the ministers Luc Ferry and Xavier Darcos.

(...)

The Prime Minister talked about the Bill on the application of the secular principle in State schools, as called for by President Chirac. He restated the importance of the secular principle which expresses the values of respect, dialogue and toleration, which underpin France's identity.

Jean-Paul Raffarin stressed the fact that there was no question of restricting religious freedom or its expression. He also insisted on the need for discernment in the Act's implementation. The chief education officers were urged to use the transitional period in the first half of 2004 to develop dialogue and mediation in schools. The Prime Minister asked the chief education officers to support and back the efforts of school heads to conduct dialogue and to consult./.