A French primary school teacher has been temporarily suspended after reportedly reading passages from the Bible to his students. The suspension has sparked a debate on whether he violated the principles of secularism. The incident took place in Indre department in central France, according to France Bleu, which initially reported the story. The 40-year-old teacher, whose name has not yet been revealed, was reportedly working in a school that covered four small communes – Badecon-le-Pin, Chavin, Malicornay, and Le Menoux.

In January, an anonymous letter to Pierre-François Gachet, Indre academic director, from “a team of parents” of primary school students, denounced the “proselytism” of the teacher, French La Croix newspaper reported. He allegedly read some passages from the Bible to primary school students, the letter claimed. The teacher (several French outlets also call him a professor) was temporarily suspended and an inquiry into his teaching methods was launched, Gachet said. The results of the investigation will be known “before mid-March,” he added. READ MORE


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