Teachers walk out of French school after accusations of Islamophobia

RELIGIONS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA)- In France, the education minister, Gabriel Attal, has visited a school near Paris, after teachers walked out when pupils aged 11 to 12 refused to look at a 17th century nude Renaissance painting shown in class and accused their teacher of racism and Islamophobia.

A parent threatened to file a complaint and the teachers stayed away saying there was an increase in cases of violence and lack of management support.

The minister said students would face disciplinary action and a team would ensure pupils adhere to the “values of the republic.”

The incident arose days after six teenagers were convicted for their role in the beheading of a teacher, Samuel Paty, in 2020, after he showed a cartoon of the prophet Mohammed in class.