French Education Minister Supports Trial Of Implementation Of School Uniforms Amid Prohibition Of Abaya

French illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Guilhem Vellut)

French Education Minister Gabriel Attal said on Tuesday he supported a school uniform trial or dress code amid debate over the ban on neglect in public schools, the loose and long robe worn by Muslim women.

Uniforms have not been required in French schools since 1968, but have often been on a political agenda, often driven by conservative and far-right politicians.

Attal, who announced a ban on neglect earlier this week, told BFM TV he would give a schedule in the fall to conduct uniform trials for any school agreeing to participate.

"I don't think school uniforms are a magical solution that solves all issues related to harassment, social inequality, or secularism," he said.

"We have to go through experiments, try various things to encourage debate," he continued.

It is known, France has imposed a ban on religious symbols in public schools since 2004, to enforce strict secularism known as "laitite". This topic is a sensitive topic and often triggers political tensions in the country.

For some people, wearing a uniform means equality and removing differences in social status and wealth. For others, it is unnecessary debate and diverts attention from more serious issues, such as discipline and harassment

In January 2023, President Emmanuel Macron's wife, Brigitte, told the Le Parisien newspaper the school uniform "to remove differences, we save time compared to branded clothes."

"So I prefer to wear school uniforms, but in simple and not boring clothes," he said at the time.