On Thursday, March 26, the National Assembly adopted, in a first reading, the bill presented by Christophe Blanchet, which aims to strengthen national defense education. If this text is definitively adopted, its implementation could lead to a modification of school programs.
The current international context is troubled: armed conflicts in Europe or the Middle East, economic interference, risks related to cyberattacks… Faced with these challenges, Modem deputy of the 4th district of Calvados, Christophe Blanchet, has defended a bill to teach national defense to middle and high school students.
In the preamble to the text defended by Christophe Blanchet, he notes that “since the suspension of compulsory national service in 1997, an increasing number of young people are unaware of the principles and actors of national defense”. The deputy also emphasizes that “citizens contribute to the defense and cohesion of the Nation”. Fearing a possible disconnect between defense and citizens, Christophe Blanchet wants to “enable every young French person to understand the mission of the armed forces, the issues of sovereignty and resilience, and the role of the citizen in defending the Nation.”
Integrating national defense into schools is a sensitive, delicate subject, where strong opinions are readily expressed. Christophe Blanchet aims to educate on his text so that its limits are clearly defined.
“Militarization is wearing a uniform with a weapon. But we will not give military uniforms and weapons to young people. So, it is not the militarization of youth,” emphasizes Christophe Blanchet.
According to the deputy, it is about “raising awareness of the concept of national defense, which brings us all together, how each person protects the country?”
Christophe Blanchet clarifies that his text does not aim to create additional hours of classes to teach national defense. No additional teaching positions will be created for this subject. He points out that “in every subject, we can raise awareness of what national defense is, but it is not just about the military.”
“We can teach defense in physics, we can teach national defense in mathematics. But be careful, it is not about saying that now all classes will be about national defense,” Blanchet adds.
For the deputy, it is about understanding the world, “a world under attack from all sides.” He explains that this education should promote patriotism.
“Patriotism is loving France, loving the French language, respecting the motto, respecting the Marseillaise and respecting the motto ‘Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.’ That’s patriotism. Let’s not have shameful patriotism,” states Christophe Blanchet.
These comments have provoked a response from some teaching unions, particularly if the text is implemented.
“This goes against everything we preach, which is empathy and teaching peace,” says Claire-Marie Ferret, regional secretary of SNES-FSU.
Some even see it as an ideological drift.
“There are already some ideological offensives in the programs, in certain subjects, especially in history or in economics and social sciences for high school students,” explains Claire-Marie Ferret.
The opposition is even stronger when discussing patriotism. “We are for a school that allows for emancipation, a school that allows for making your own choices and developing critical thinking,” Ferret emphasizes.
Just voted on, not yet enacted, the text proposed by Christophe Blanchet is already sparking debate.
