On Sunday, we were finally able to open the first box of the traditional Advent calendar. It is true that basically, it is a purely Catholic tradition, Advent designating the period which precedes the birth of Jesus. Thus, by virtue of the principle of secularism in public schools, heads of schools in Aisne received a warning prohibiting them from using Advent calendars with their students. A ban that some denounce as an attack on traditions.
These are our colleagues from The Union who revealed the affair, explaining that several principals of primary schools in Aisne had received an email from an academy inspector reminding them that they should not use an Advent calendar, even for educational. At this stage, it was not known whether all public school principals had received the same directive. When in doubt, Xavier Bertrand, president of Hauts-de-France, expressed his dissatisfaction on social networks: “Doesn't National Education have other priorities than tackling the school calendars? 'Advent of schools and our traditions? ! », he says on X to the minister, Anne Genetet.
The saved calendars as well as the king cakes
An invective to which the person concerned responded by SMS, sent directly to the regional president. According to France Info, who was able to consult the message, Anne Genetet assures that the instruction is in no way national, but that it is the work of the academy inspector and him alone, the ministry not even having not been informed.
In addition to this response to Xavier Bertrand, Anne Genetet immediately sent a letter to the secularism representatives of the academies, reminding them that Advent calendars were not banned from schools as long as they had a “social and cultural dimension” . However, she also recalled that “explicitly religious” calendars had no place in school.
Relief for the boss of Hauts-de-France, who took the opportunity to look into the question of the galette des rois. On this last point, he also obtained assurances from the minister that the children will be entitled to their share of frangipane.
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