An "agr'egation" in literature, a doctorate in Latin studies and a doctorate in literature and human sciences, mayor of P'erigueux, a former inspector for the Ministry of Education, staff coordinator ("directeur de cabinet") for Francois Bayrou at the Ministry of Education, Xavier Darcos was education adviser to Prime Minister Alain Jupp'e (1995-1997), and Minister for Secondary Education under Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin.
When he was in the Ministry of Secondary Education, he set off a controversy in November 2002 by suggesting that "the most troubled schools be equipped with fences." In 2003, he reopened the debate on school uniforms and the use of the formal forms of address ("vous") in schools. He also deemed "necessary" the law forbidding the wearing of religious symbols in public schools.
Since June 2005, he has been an ambassador: the permanent representative of France to the organization of Economic Cooperation and Development. (OCDE).
At his blog, you can read some of his ideas on schools:
"France should delve more deeply into the idea of giving young people in school insights into that which is transcendent: the soul, religion, the infinite, time, values, the Western spiritual basis... School, besides the fact that it confuses culture with being cultivated, is mired in problems involving the use of the vernacular, and in sermonizing about global and uniform "human rights" as if there were no hierarchies, differences or choices."
When Pope Benedict made his remarks in Germany last year (about the violent nature of Islam), Xavier Darcos defended him and denounced anti-Catholic prejudice:
"Catholicism is used to these distortions: it can be the object of caricatures, it can be insulted and attacked, its churches can be invaded and ridiculed. But woe to anyone who attacks another religion. Then it's no joke. I'm still waiting for illegal immigrants to invade a mosque or a synagogue."
So far, Darcos is one of the few cabinet members who sounds like a traditional Frenchman. What he will be able to accomplish at the Ministry of Education remains to be seen.
Reference: master-of-pentagram.blogspot.com
