French Education Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra has asked the prime minister to "recuse herself from any acts relating to" the Collège Stanislas, the private school in Paris attended by her children, sources close to her told Agence France-Presse on Thursday, January 18. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has accepted her request, said the sources, confirming an initial report by BFMTV.
An inquiry by the General Inspectorate of National Education, commissioned in 2022 by then-education minister Pap Ndiaye after revelations about the school's practices by Mediapart, handed in its conclusions at the end of summer 2023. The report points to breaches of the education code and laws concerning the private school system in France.
Several press investigations, including by Le Monde, have revealed that the reputedly conservative establishment is home to a homophobic and sexist atmosphere. The establishment has also been cited in sexual assault cases implicating former school chaplains and managers, including former director Daniel Chapellier, who disputes the allegations. He is under investigation for "sexual assault on a minor under the age of 15."
On January 12, less than 24 hours after being promoted to education minister, while keeping her sports and Olympics portfolio, Oudéa-Castéra angered teachers when she justified the enrolment of her three children in this very conservative private establishment by arguing there was too much absenteeism from public school teachers.
Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version.