The administrative court in Lille determined on Wednesday that the Averroes Muslim High School in Lille can continue receiving state subsidies, overturning a 2023 decision by local authorities that had withdrawn funding over allegations of serious breaches in teaching rules.
The Averroes school, established two decades ago in response to the national ban on religious symbols such as the Muslim headscarf in public schools, is one of the few institutions in France where students can wear the hijab.
In November 2023, regional authorities raised concerns over illicit financing and problematic teaching materials. Among the issues cited was a book listed in a bibliography for Muslim ethics teachers that referenced gender segregation and the death penalty for apostasy. Georges-François Leclerc, the regional prefect, suspended funding the following month, claiming that students were “in danger” and suggesting links between some teachers and Islamist ideologies.
But the court found no evidence of “serious breaches” in educational conduct. It concluded that authorities had failed to demonstrate any “lack of cultural pluralism” in the school’s curriculum, violation of ethics class standards, or illegal funding sources.
France banned overt religious expressions such as the hijab in 2004. The Averroes school remains a rare exception under private status, and its existence continues to stir debate amid national concerns over preventing the spread of extremist ideologies in a country deeply scarred by past jihadist attacks.
