Lycée Français Du Caire - The School's History - March 2011 Protests

March 2011 Protests

During the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, the headmaster Mr. Roesch had called for a meeting to discuss the closing of the school until February 27th. During the meeting, which over 200 teachers, parents and students attended, only the headmaster was allowed to use a microphone. Unable to speak during the meeting, a math teacher stood up and tries to grab the microphone from the headmaster's hands, who resisted and kept the microphone. Considering the conditions and the incredible amount of stress associated with this crucial moment of Egyptian history, and the fact that the very purpose of a meeting is to enable communication, this act is quite natural.

However, ignoring the teacher's apologies, the headmaster filed a complaint for "assault", claiming he had to "muster all of his strength to fight back and take the microphone the teacher had unrightfully snatched from his hands", resulting in the indefitnite suspension of the said math teacher. When the school reopened on February 28th, the students, particularly the Seniors, heard the news, and, as they all had just witnessed the power of protests to fight injustice, the students decided they would stage protests on the school's football field, not going to class until the unjust punishment was revoked. A group of seniors along with a few juniors, began to write a petition to be sent to the director of the AEFE, condemning the irresponsibility and incapabilities of the headmaster during this crisis and the unjust suspension of the teacher, which was signed by over 600 students (out of a rough 800). Two other petitions were also sent, one signed by the parents, and another by the teachers.

The situation escalated, and as the school was paralyzed and could not function because of the students' protests, the vice-president of the AEFE travelled from Paris to Cairo to tend to the situation and hear what the students, parents and teachers had to say. Finally, after a week of protests, the teacher's unjust suspension was lifted, and the headmaster, Mr. Bernard Roesch, was ultimately fired for his incompetence and inability to control the situation, at the satisfaction of the entire school's community.