The School Wars: How France Fought Over Laicité

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the bitter struggle over secular education in France, from the 1880s Jules Ferry laws that made primary school free, compulsory, and laïque, to the 1905 separation of church and state. They discuss the Guerre des Deux France—the clash between Catholic and republican visions of the nation—and the pivotal role of instituteurs, the secular schoolteachers who became the republic's missionaries in the countryside. Luna asks about the lingering tensions today, and Lucas explains how the 2004 law banning religious symbols in schools stems from the same principle of laïcité that Ferry championed. Along the way, they touch on the Ligue de l'Enseignement, the Congrégations, the expulsion of religious orders, and the legacy of Émile Combes. A rich look at how France defined its identity through its classrooms. #Laïcité #JulesFerry #FrenchSecularism #SchoolWars #ThirdRepublic #LigueDeLEnseignement #ÉmileCombes #1905Law #Instituteurs #CatholicChurch #GuerreDesDeuxFrance #Congrégations #LegrandSéminaire #FélixPécaut #FexingoHistory #History #France #Education Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo