His amendment to a draft of an education law, the "School of Confidence" act, was defeated. Its very existence, though, came as a welcome surprise on the part of a member of the mainstream conservative party, Les Républicains, which has not done much to defend parental rights over the last few years.

His brief explanation accompanying the amendment clearly stated:

"Parents are the primary educators of their children. This principle can be found in every national and international affirmation of rights. Reaffirming this principle requires that schools should not infringe parents' rights. As regards emotional and sexual education [the French official name for sex ed], which touches upon people's most intimate convictions, State intervention is not legitimate. As Jules Ferry explained in his own time in his letter to public school teachers: 'You are an aid and in some ways a back-up for fathers ...When presenting a precept or a maximum to your pupils, ask yourself whether to your knowledge, any decent man could be offended by what you are going to say.' The point of this amendment is to exclude emotional and sexual education from moral and civic instruction."

During the debate, he also remarked that there was a lot less sexual abuse in schools when there was no "sex education."

Jules Ferry is known as the "father" of French public secularized education. He promoted secularized, free, and compulsory instruction at the end of the 19th century. After his death in 1893, increased persecution against denominational—and above all, Catholic—schools led by religious congregations set in. These were only to regain the right to reopen over the period between the two World Wars, from 1918 to 1940.

Most Catholic schools in France today are under contract with the state and are obliged to follow a very stringent and detailed national curriculum from primary level to the baccalaureate at the end of high school. Sex education has been compulsory for several decades and was recently reinforced by the minister for Education, Jean-Michel Blanquer. It includes presentations by external "approved" stakeholders such as the French Planned Parenthood association or Estim, dedicated to helping young people "accept" their sexuality as well as "different" sexualities in others.

Xavier Breton defended his amendment by drawing attention to the growing mistrust in state interference with family life.

"I'm thinking in particular about the hours we spent recently debating on proposed legislation to ban spanking," he said.

"When you speak of that to our compatriots, telling them that we spend our time here on this sort of subjects ... I realize we should be asking ourselves what type of role the State is trying to play in dominating private conscience. This amendment aims to withdraw emotional and sexual education from moral and civic instruction by recalling the primacy of the family in this sphere," he explained.

The French National Assembly is at present heavily dominated by members of President Emmanuel Macron's party, "En Marche" ("Onwards!"), and many liberal societal reforms are being implemented.

Breton's amendment was received with skepticism. The Commission's chairwoman, Anne-Christine Lang, argued that while families should not be replaced, the State and the National Education authorities should intervene in these issues "because of the increase of all sorts of sexual aggression"... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

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