French Education Ministry to Close Muslim Private School

Only months after enacting a ban on abaya in public schools, the French education ministry is now targeting private Muslim schools, citing “concerns over opaque funding.”

Rabat – Only months after enacting a ban on abaya in public schools, the French education ministry is now targeting private Muslim schools, citing “concerns over opaque funding.”

The French Minister of National Education, Nicole Belloubet, has announced plans to shut down Avicenna College, a private Muslim non-contract school located in Nice, France.

In a televised interview posted on Monday, Belloubet cited “an opaque funding problem” as the primary reason behind the proposed closure, stating that it was “contrary to the antiseparatism law” introduced in 2021.

She argued that the college failed to provide clear information about its sources of funding despite repeated inquiries, prompting concerns about compliance with legal requirements.

“I have instructed the rector of the Nice Academy to enforce the 2021 law decisively and to recommend to the prefect the closure of this institution, taking into consideration the educational welfare of the students,” Belloubet said during the interview.

The French minister added that the closure announcement would be made soon, with implementation scheduled for September to ensure a smooth transition for affected students.

Located in the Ariane neighborhood, one of the economically disadvantaged areas in Nice, Avicenna College caters to students from 6th to 3rd grade.

The news comes on the heels of a similar decision in the Nord department, where public subsidies for Averroes High School, France’s first Muslim secondary school, were terminated starting as of the 2024 academic year.

The decision, upheld by the administrative court of Lille in February, has prompted Averroes High School to appeal to the Council of State for reconsideration.

In recent years, France has adopted a series of controversial, evidently anti-Islam policies in the name of “secularism.”

In September 2023, France announced enacting a ban on wearing abayas in public schools. The move triggered widespread backlash among Muslim communities and activists alike, with many describing the decision as a breach of religious freedom.