The Minister of National Education summoned the rectors to redo the instructions to be adopted in the event of school bullying after the suicide of a teenager last week in Yvelines.
One suicide too many. Gabriel Attal brought together all the rectors of the academies this Monday evening at the Ministry of National Education after the death of Nicolas, a teenager who was the victim of school bullying in Poissy (Yvelines).
“Let things be clear: I want an electric shock at all levels,” declared the Minister of National Education in front of the academy rectors.
“My role is to be at your side, to give you the means to act, not to defend the indefensible. My role, your role, is not to protect an Institution at all costs, but to protect our students, our children at all costs,” also declared Gabriel Attal.
An audit in the rectorates
Words which have a completely different resonance after the revelation of a letter from the rectorate of the Versailles academy to Nicolas’s parents. Letter which shocked public opinion and which was described as a “shame” by Gabriel Attal.
The minister announced on Saturday an “audit in all rectorates on all situations of harassment which were reported to the rectorates last year”.
The general inspectorate will carry out work to obtain precise answers on five points: How many cases have been reported to the DSDEN (Directorate of Departmental Services of National Education) and to the rectorate? What was the processing time for each of these cases? Was the case successfully resolved and if not why? Are there operational processes and circuits for any reporting of harassment at your level, if not why? How is communication done with families when a case is reported?
“Change what doesn’t work”
“I hope that the first results of this audit will be communicated to me in 4 weeks,” said the minister, announcing at the same time his desire for an “action plan by academy”.
“We must then change what is not working. Each academy must have reviewed its response strategy to cases of harassment,” he explained.
Finally, the minister indicates that the management of school bullying “will be taken into account in the management dialogue” between academies and the ministry. on the question of means, Gabriel Attal also assured that “if there is a need […] to set up dedicated and trained teams in the rectorates, responsible full time for managing harassment cases, I will provide the necessary human resources.
“I will not waste a second to act”, assured Gabriel Attal, “I said as soon as I took office that the fight against school bullying would be the priority of the action of this ministry under my authority: I am waiting may this priority be shared by each and every one.”