Four primary schools in Charleroi were set on fire in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. It is not yet known who the perpetrators are. The reason for the destruction is: the instigators disagree with a new sex education curriculum.
New this school year in French-speaking education: mandatory lessons about sexuality, relationships and emotions. This has been leading to protests and demonstrations for days. The fires are inextricably linked to this: the perpetrators have defaced the schools with texts that refer to ‘Evras’. This stands for Education à la vie relationnelle, affective et sexuelle.
Almost immediately, the program came under fire online and calls for demonstrations were made from ultra-conservative circles, including Islamic associations and the fundamentalist Catholic Civitas, reports news site BFMTV. Last Thursday, hundreds of people protested in Brussels against the measure, which was then on the political agenda. They called for the resignation of the Minister of Education Caroline Désir (PS).
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Apparently there is a minority in the French-speaking population that takes offense to the measures, says sociologist Ruud Wouters (Tilburg University). He has been researching protest for years, previously at UAntwerp. “If you, as a minority, want to leave your mark on policy, you have to stand out to get the floor. Is their strategy successful? Yes, everyone talks about it. But do people also come forward with substantive criticism and say how things should be done? That remains to be seen.”
The federal judicial police of Charleroi have opened four investigation files. No suspects have yet been identified. “The intention is clearly criminal, with the intention of expressing dissatisfaction with the project,” says the Charleroi prosecutor. The local police say the act is “clearly politically motivated”.
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The fires set are remarkable. Protest has actually become more peaceful in Belgium over the years, the researcher says. For a long time this was an agreed dance between organizers and authorities. “What is a big change is that the organization behind protests is becoming increasingly digital. You also saw this with the demonstrations against the corona measures. Internet and social media are increasingly the backbone of protests, instead of strong organizations that not only mobilize but also discipline members,” Wouters analyzes.
This is also evident from this protest: parents and associations have expressed their dissatisfaction through social media. Videos were also forwarded on WhatsApp.
The Evras guide is not new. The educational program on sexuality, relationships and emotions has been around since 2012 and covers a wide range of themes, such as dealing with emotions, self-esteem and family dynamics. About 20 percent of schools in Wallonia and Brussels used the method, which was not mandatory. Now that it has been approved by the Parliament of the French Community, all students in sixth grade and fourth grade will now receive two hours of lessons per year. A budget of 4.8 million euros has been made available for this.
