The attack on their colleague-geography has created a lasting shock in professors, shared between discouragement and refusing to give up their mission.
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The assassination of Samuel Paty has 13-November tunes for teachers. For the first time, one of their colleague was killed at the gates of his school because of his job. A year later, each teacher still remembers what he was doing when he learned the drama, at the very beginning of the holidays of All Saints. The shock seized the entire profession. Professor of History-Geography in the Dijon Academy, Emmanuel Menetrey learns the attack against Samuel Paty on television and enters “a state of heating”. The next day, when more precise information about who was Samuel Paty begin to circulate, he bottoms into tears. “He was the same age as me [47 years old], the same profession was exercised in the same discipline. I cried as if I had lost a member of my family,” says the teacher.
As Emmanuel Ménetrey, many identified with Samuel Paty. The history-geography teachers in the first chief. They are the ones who are at the forefront: they are responsible for moral and civic education. “I give this course on freedom of expression every year. Obviously, I thought: it could have been me!”, Assures, like many others Laurence Barden-Almeras, a history-geography teacher in the ‘academy of Toulouse.
Since the Paris attacks, in November 2015, everyone was aware that public school could be a target of terrorists. The Francophone Propaganda magazine of the Islamic State had clearly identified teachers like “corruptors” to “fight and kill”. But from there to act to act … “We all realized a year ago that we could be killed because we exercise the profession of teacher”, is still awaiting Fabien Slese, teacher in The Academy of Lyon and College Manager at the Association of History and Geography Teachers (APHG).
Nothing has changed
The need to react collectively has quickly been felt. Despite the holidays and to break the isolation, teachers called themselves to share their emotion and work the answers to give students to the return of the holidays. The procrastination of the Ministry of National Education around the modalities of the tribute in the institutions, and in particular a moment of consultation – finally dismissed – left to the teachers on the start of the school year, have left an bitterness still lively today . “We have again been the impression of not being supported by our hierarchy, as one has the feeling of not being protected by our institution against parents who do not trust us”, is desolate Marc Meissonnier, teacher In the Clermont-Ferrand Academy.
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