In a significant ruling, the Administrative Court in Nice reversed the decision to shut down the Avicenne Middle School. The court concluded that errors found in the school’s financial records were insufficient grounds for such a drastic measure.
“Avicenne School has emerged stronger from this ordeal,” asserted Sefen Guez Guez, the school’s lawyer. He also indicated plans to challenge the rejection of the school’s request for a state contract.
Meanwhile, the department responsible for the closure expressed concerns, citing the Separatism Law. “The court acknowledged the school’s lack of financial transparency, which remains problematic,” a department representative stated.
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Located in a disadvantaged area of Nice, Avicenne Middle School serves around 100 Muslim students. The recent controversy has led to an increase in applications, with 130 students already enrolled for the next academic year.
Despite acknowledging the quality of education at Avicenne, local authorities highlighted the 2021 Separatism Law, which mandates that non-contracted schools disclose their funding sources. The school, affiliated with the Alpes-Maritimes Muslim Union, faced scrutiny for mishandling financial inquiries from officials.
Financial discrepancies included incomplete preparation of accounts and only listing family names of contributors, whether parents or donors. The school charges €200 per student monthly, heavily relying on these fees for its budget.
The court explained, “While the financial records from 2018 to 2022 contain errors and inaccuracies, they do not justify the school’s permanent closure.”
The closure order was initially announced on February 26 by the Minister of National Education, Nicole Belloubet, with implementation set for March 14.
This development comes amid France’s national legislative elections. The first round, held on Sunday, saw far-right parties, including the National Rally, gaining significant support with 33.14 percent of the votes. The left-wing New Popular Front received 27.99 percent, and President Emmanuel Macron’s coalition trailed with 20.8 percent.
