Secularism has been brought into the international spotlight by the ban on hijabs for French athletes at the upcoming Paris Olympics. France’s unique approach to “laïcité” — loosely translated as “secularism” — has been increasingly stirring controversy from schools to sports fields across the country. The struggle cuts to the core of how France approaches Read more
French officials have prevented schools from taking pupils for free to a musical about Saint Bernadette of Lourdes, claiming it would contravene rules on keeping all religion out of education. The show’s producers were informed by mail that it was being excluded from a “pass culture” scheme that allows teachers to take groups to cultural Read more
Another year, another row over French secularism and the hijab in France. This time, the debate erupted after a far-right politician asked a woman who was accompanying her son and other children on a school trip to a regional council headquarters to remove her headscarf when entering the building. It is a reminder that, for Read more