Monday, April 11, 2011

French history teacher sacked for hosting debate on abortion

A French history teacher who was suspended last November for providing pro-life materials and showing images of aborted babies during a debate about abortion in his tenth grade class has been fired from the National Education system.

Mr Philippe Isnard, 40, lost his position without salary, benefits, or any right to financial compensation via the social welfare system, Lifesitenews has reported.  

Mr Isnard said he was “stunned” by the severity of the decision, even though he was beyond hoping for complete exoneration.

Revocation is the harshest possible disciplinary measure for a teacher in the French public education system.  

A full revocation can only be pronounced by the Education minister himself.  

It ends the teaching career of the father-of-two in all state-funded schools.

The controversy began last autumn when several parents started a public campaign against the history teacher after he showed students aged 15 to 16 graphic video footage entitled, No Need to Argue.  

The French mainstream media were quick to pick up the story.  

The campaign provoked angry media reactions calling on the Education ministry to take measures against Mr Isnard.

The education minister, Luc Chatel, responded by publicly criticising the teacher, saying, “What has happened is unacceptable.  

Professors are under obligation to respect neutrality and to have respect for the person.”

Shortly after Mr Isnard was temporarily suspended in November, a “psychological counselling unit” was set up at Les Iscles high school to support students who had participated in the abortion debate.  

Reportedly, no students have made use of its services.  

The local Planned Parenthood was also invited into Les Iscles high school to follow up the debate, meeting with the students in groups of five.

For his part, Mr Isnard has argued that he encouraged debate in the class.  Students were encouraged to bring their own material, either for or against abortion, while Isnard himself provided Simone Veil’s Assembly speech promoting the first French law legalising abortion, now known as the Loi Veil, pro-life video clips, a pro-life tract and No Need to Argue.

He says he warned his students about the shocking nature of some of the materials to be presented and told them they were free to leave the class if they wished.

Last month Mr Isnard’s case went before a mixed commission of teachers’ union members and representatives of the Academic hierarchy of Aix-Marseille.  

According to information leaked, after the six-hour hearing all 38 members of the disciplinary commission voted for a disciplinary measure to be pronounced.

Mr Isnard says he intends to appeal the minister’s decision.  He has also created a pro-life group in his private capacity viz. ProVie France.

When asked whether he considered it appropriate to show graphic pictures of abortion to students aged 15 or 16, Mr Isnard said that the French National Education system considers such students as sexually mature.  

He pointed out that they receive information about contraception and abortion around age 13 or 14 and can obtain the morning-after pill in school infirmaries without their parents’ knowledge or consent.

“If they’re considered old enough to be sexually active, they should also be made aware of the consequences of their actions,” he said.