Is there a limit to freedom of expression? This could be the subject of this year’s baccalaureate but it is the question that theassociation of teachers of philosophy in public education (Call) in a communicated published on Friday. It follows the suspension for three months of two philosophy teachers, Franklin Nyamsi and René Chiche, by the National Education for their repeated speeches on social networks.
L’Appep writes that it only has “fragmentary data” about these two cases, but “sufficient to arouse the legitimate concern of teachers”. She wonders about “the use that teachers will be able to make” of their freedom of expression without risking incurring an administrative sanction, including when they criticize the policies implemented by the government”.
“Impact on the proper functioning of the public service”
René Chiche was suspended from mid-April, according to a letter from the Ministry of Education’s human resources, tweeted by the professor. Known in the teaching community for his virulent remarks on a school that he considers to be adrift, the professor is also vice-president of Action and Democracy, a very minority teachers’ union.
“According to the Minister, my public expression and the audience of my remarks damage the image and reputation of the public service of National Education,” he wrote on Twitter on Saturday. The joint committee meeting as a disciplinary council had criticized him, a few weeks ago, for highlighting “his quality as a teacher in his public speeches”. The commission had considered “that the frequency of these remarks is likely to impact the proper functioning of the public service”.
“Political persecution”
Followed by nearly 160,000 people on Twitter, Franklin Nyamsi believes he has been punished for his “criticism of France’s African policy” and evokes “political persecution”, according to a publication at the end of April.
Again on Saturday, he shared an article from the local daily Paris Normandy recounting his suspension without payment of salary, which he challenged in court. The Rouen administrative court dismissed his request on Thursday, according to a decision it made public on Friday.
“Without the least reason for his decision, an administrative judge in France rejected our appeal against the exclusion from teaching duties that I have suffered since March 14, 2023”, he commented, while justice must decide. secondly on the merits of the case. Contacted by AFP, the Ministry of National Education did not respond on Saturday afternoon.