Overview

• The Lycée Averroès, a prominent Muslim school in Lille, had its state contract terminated in December 2023 over alleged breaches of Republican values, leading to the loss of public subsidies in September 2024.
• The Prefecture's decision cited materials promoting the death penalty for apostasy, gender segregation, and other issues, alongside the school's refusal of a 2022 inspection and its receipt of funding from Qatar.
• The school's enrollment dropped from 470 to 290 students, prompting it to double tuition fees and launch a fundraiser to sustain operations.
• The tribunal administrative's rapporteur public recommended annulling the Prefecture's decision, citing procedural errors and insufficiently severe breaches to justify the termination.
• The case highlights broader debates over secularism, religious freedom, and perceived unequal treatment of Muslim private schools in France.