In the midst of an emergency attack alert due to the threat of terrorism, at least 20 schools in Paris received terrorist attack threats between Tuesday night and Wednesday. These schools are located in various neighborhoods of the French capital, including the XII, XV, XIX, and XVI.
One such school, Pierre Alviset in the V neighborhood of Paris, had to evacuate all students and staff before 9 am due to “threats of a terrorist nature.” Another school, Jean de la Fontaine high school in the 16th neighborhood, was evacuated after a bomb threat, forcing 1,700 students to go home while the police searched the premises. The threats received by these schools via ETN included references to bomb threats and graphic videos of beheadings.
The Federation of Parents of Public Education Students in Paris urged parents to monitor their children’s online activities to prevent exposure to such content. Meanwhile, dozens of high schools in southern France also received similar threats via ENT targeting teachers, students, and parents alike. The fear and intimidation within the educational community have made reporting threats difficult, especially concerning issues related to secularism and the wearing of veils by Muslim students.
The recent resignation of Lycée Maurice-Ravel’s director following death threats for enforcing secularism and requesting a student remove her veil has raised concerns about educator safety in France. This incident highlights the challenges faced by educators in upholding secular values while ensuring their own safety and that of their students.
