France bans home schooling to counter Islamic extremism

Parents who teach their children at home could face up to six months in prison as part of new measures to combat Islamic extremism in France.

The bill, unveiled on Wednesday, makes it a crime for children to be homeschooled.

It is an attempt to prevent children from being influenced by religious radicals, the Times reported.

It comes after the murder of French teacher Samuel Paty, who was beheaded last month after showing his class cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during a lesson on free speech.

French President Emmanuel has since spoken out strongly against radical Islam, and the new law aims to prevent harsh beliefs being imposed on the country’s children.

Parents homeschooling their children could sit in prison for up to six months amid new measures to combat Islamic extremism in France (photo)

Other measures in the legislation include ways to ensure schools can withstand calls for religious and sex education to be weakened.

They will give local councils the power to deny separate swimming times for men and women, and they will also enable crackdown on online hate speech.

Mosques may also be forced to make their foreign funding transparent to ensure it doesn’t come from radical sources.

The decision to ban home schooling was reportedly made after ministers said some Muslim parents refused to let their children go to school.

Gérald Darmanin, the interior minister, said more girls than boys were being kept at home.

“In some areas there are more boys than girls when we know that statistically more girls will be born. It’s a scandal, ”he said in comments to the Times.

Home tuition is only allowed when attending school“Impossible for reasons related to the child’s or family’s situation”.

Parents who ignore the law could go to jail for up to six months or be fined € 7,500.

The new law comes after French teacher Samuel Paty was beheaded last month and prompted President Emmanuel Macron to speak out against radical Islam