Schools burned in Belgium amid controversy over sex education guide

During the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, four nursery or primary schools were set on fire in three municipalities: Charleroi, Marcinelle and Couillet. The damage was only material, but the janitor of one of the schools lives there. There could therefore have been victims.

The fires were clearly lit as the arsonists claimed responsibility with graffiti proclaiming “No to Evras”. In other words, no to the decree relating to “Education for relational, emotional and sexual life”, a guide intended for education professionals to provide two two-hour courses per year in college.

A final school was set on fire this morning, although police have confirmed it was an intentional fire, it remains to be seen whether it is linked to the four other incidents in the same area in recent days.

Paul Magnette, president of the French-speaking Socialist Party and mayor of Charleroi, sees it as terrorism and social barbarism. “It is clearly linked to radical religious movements, whether Catholic, Muslim or other, or to far-right movements, which oppose these emotional education courses. “Everything must be done to intercept the culprits as quickly as possible and bring them to justice, and I hope to punish them as severely as possible,” he said.

Magnette echoes the words of Carole Désir, Minister of National Education of the French Community of Belgium (or “Wallonia-Brussels Federation”). Like him, he is a member of the Walloon Socialist Party and has repeatedly described those who criticized his decree as extremists.

Although these courses have existed for more than 10 years, the novelty is that this school year they wanted to make them compulsory in certain years, which sparked criticism from several ultra-conservative Catholic and Muslim organizations and from some parents .

Among the several hundred demonstrators gathered in front of Parliament on the day of the vote, almost all Muslim associations were represented, as well as a few traditionalist Catholics. A text signed by seven Islamic associations condemned this decree which, according to them, “goes against the universal and inviolable values ​​of family education and the interests of students and their families”.

However, this 200-page decree seems to pose real problems in terms of social options. In the newspaper La Libre BelgiqueFor example, an open letter from the principal of a major Brussels school indicates that the Evras decree should allow young people aged 11 and 16 to control the way in which they send intimate nude photos online.

Likewise, two associations have filed an appeal against a decree which, according to them, represents “ideological indoctrination” which does not contribute to the “psycho-emotional development of students”. The appeal indicates that the decree contravenes the articles of the Penal Code on “the introduction of neutral pornography” and “the introduction of prostitution in a neutral manner to non-consenting minors”.

Minister Carole Désir denounced “a disinformation campaign” aimed at “stoking suspicion”. “We are obviously not going to encourage hypersexualization among young people, nor promote sexual orientation or gender identity. I read that children were going to be taught to masturbate. It is totally unacceptable to scare parents with this question,” she said last week in RTBF.

In recent days, hoaxes and false news have spread through social networks and WhatsApp. For the moment, there are no arrests, but an investigation is open. These fires have also caused unease within the political class who believe that false information has damaged a party which until now had not sparked controversy.