Jean-Michel Blanquer

Jean-Michel Blanquer
Blanquer in 2022
Minister of National Education, Youth and Sports
In office
17 May 2017 – 20 May 2022
PresidentEmmanuel Macron
Prime MinisterÉdouard Philippe
Jean Castex
Preceded byNajat Vallaud-Belkacem (National Education, Higher Education and Research)
Succeeded byPap Ndiaye
Personal details
Born (1964-12-04) 4 December 1964 (age 60)
Paris, France
Political partyLREM (since 2017)
Spouse(s)
​
(m. 2022)​

Sophie de Puybaudet
​
​
(m. 1991; div. 2012)​

Aurélia Devos
​
​
(m. 2018; div. 2020)​
EducationCollège Stanislas
Alma materParis 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University
Sciences Po
Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas University

Jean-Michel Blanquer (French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃ miʃɛl blɑ̃kɛʁ]; born 4 December 1964) is a French jurist and government official serving as Minister of National Education under Prime Ministers Édouard Philippe and Jean Castex from 2017 to 2022.[1][2]

Education and early career

Born in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, he obtained a doctorate in law from Panthéon-Assas University and a master's degree in politics from Sciences Po. From 1996 to 1998, he was a professor in civil law at Sciences Po Lille. From 1998 to 2004, he was director of the Institute of Latin American Studies at the New Sorbonne University.[citation needed]

From 2009 to 2012, Blanquer served as the director general of secondary and junior school education under then Minister of National Education Luc Chatel. In 2013, he became president of ESSEC Business School.[3][4]

Minister of National Education

On 15 May 2017, Blanquer was appointed by President Emmanuel Macron to be Minister of National Education in the first Philippe government. He retained the position on 17 June 2017 when the second Philippe government was formed, following the legislative election of 2017.[5]

Soon after assuming the office, Blanquer announced plans to get rid of homework, preferring instead that time be set aside during the school day to do homework in school.[6] He also overhauled the French baccalaureate and introduced free breakfasts for school children in poor neighborhoods.[7] In June 2017, the ministry published a readjustment of elementary school programs in French and mathematics.[8]

In December 2017, Blanquer announced that France's education system would ban mobile devices during lunch or recess.[9] The announcement was met with mixed responses.[10]

In early 2021, Blanquer removed himself from the race to lead the LREM campaign in Île-de-France during that year's regional elections and to potentially succeed Valérie Pécresse as president of the Regional Council of Île-de-France.[11]

In addition to his government role, Blanquer has been heading the Le Laboratoire de la République since 2021; the organization is a think tank tasked with countering wokeism.[12][13] He joined the law faculty of Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas University in 2022 as professor of civil law.[14]

2022 legislative election

In the 2022 French legislative election, he stood in Loiret's 4th constituency but came third, and was eliminated in the first round.[15]

Personal life

Blanquer has been divorced twice.[16]

Bibliography

  • "Requiem pour Jean-Michel Blanquer", in Thiollet, Jean-Pierre (2022), Hallier en roue libre, Paris: Neva Editions, ISBN 978-2-35055-305-4

References

  1. ^ "Jean-Michel Blanquer, un spécialiste marqué à droite à l'éducation nationale". Le Monde. 17 May 2017. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  2. ^ Pierre Lepelletier (20 May 2022), Nouveau gouvernement : Jean-Michel Blanquer remercié après son record de cinq ans à l'Éducation nationale Le Figaro.
  3. ^ "Governance – ESSEC Business School, the pioneering spirit – About ESSEC". essec.edu. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  4. ^ Moules, Jonathan (21 January 2018). "Jen-Michel Blanquer Brings Elite Insights to France's State Schools". Financial Times.
  5. ^ "Macron cabinet: Women are half of France's new ministers". BBC News. 17 May 2017.
  6. ^ "Le ministre de l'Education veut mettre fin aux devoirs à la maison". 27 May 2017.
  7. ^ Factbox: Who are the key ministers in Macron's new government Reuters, 6 July 2020.
  8. ^ "Ecole élémentaire : vers un 'ajustement' des programmes à la rentrée". Europe 1. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  9. ^ Dupree, Nanette (28 January 2018). "French Schools Set to Ban All Mobile Devices By Next Fall". French Tribune.
  10. ^ Wamsley, Laurel (12 December 2017). "France Moves to Ban Students From Using Cellphones In Schools". NPR.
  11. ^ Loris Boichot and Mathilde Siraud (28 January 2021), Régionales : Jean-Michel Blanquer renonce définitivement à sa candidature Île-de-France Le Figaro.
  12. ^ Caulcutt, Clea (19 October 2021). "French education minister's anti-woke mission". Politico Europe. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  13. ^ Caulcutt, Clea (30 May 2022). "France's culture wars reignited after Macron appoints 'woke' minister". Politico Europe. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  14. ^ "Blanquer de retour à la fac : un professeur de droit un brin blagueur selon ses étudiants". rtl.fr. 30 September 2022.
  15. ^ "Législatives 2022 : douche froide pour Jean-Michel Blanquer éliminé dès le premier tour". Femme Actuelle (in French). 12 June 2022. Archived from the original on 9 August 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  16. ^ "Qui est Jean Michel Blanquer". L'étudiant. Retrieved 14 April 2020.

Media related to Jean-Michel Blanquer at Wikimedia Commons