Jean-Michel Blanquer, Minister of Education. – Lionel Urman / Sipa USA / SIPA
Is the context of the Covid-19 worsening violence among minors? Jean-Michel Blanquer believes that the “violence that we see” currently between adolescents would be “worse if schools had been closed” as part of a confinement, in
an interview published on Saturday evening by The Parisian on the Internet. The Minister of National Education also announces that the sports infrastructures will open again for minors “as soon as the sanitary conditions” allow it.
The start of 2021 was marked by several violent fights between young people in the Paris region, with the beating of young Yuriy in Paris in January, then the death of two teenagers during separate brawls in Essonne in February. “What happened is very serious,” said Jean-Michel Blanquer, questioned about the violence between rival gangs which increased by nearly 25% between 2019 and 2020, according to the Ministry of the Interior. “This violence that we see among the youngest would also be worse if the schools had been closed. We know that confinement creates difficulties, ”he said.
Joint work with the Ministers of Interior and Justice
“This is why minors have priority in our approaches: opening schools, colleges and high schools of course. We will first reopen sports facilities for minors as soon as sanitary conditions allow, ”he adds. He pleads for the generalization of programs which put “around the table those who intervene in the life of a child: parents, school, police, justice, associations, and municipalities”.
And on the repressive plan, the minister indicates to lead with his colleague of the Interior Gérald Darmanin and the Keeper of the Seals Éric Dupond-Moretti “a joint action to fight the phenomenon around the establishments”. “This will translate into resolute actions to put an end to violence and trafficking around middle and high schools. We have already started to step up the fight against narcotics, ”he said.
The minister was speaking on the eve of a white march in Val-d’Oise, in memory of a 14-year-old schoolgirl, violently beaten Monday by two 15-year-old classmates, then drowned in the Seine. According to the first elements of the investigation, the victim, Alisha had seen her phone hacked and photos of her in her underwear posted on the Snapchat social network. Jean-Michel Blanquer stressed that “cyberbullying must be punished more severely”, welcoming the fact that there are “more and more disciplinary boards linked to this type of case”.
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