ABSTRACT
Despite the fact that laïcité is considered to be a model of strict separation of church and state, private denominational education is highly developed and can benefit from substantial public funding in France. Since 2015, the number of Muslim schools has been rapidly expanding. In these schools, IRE can be organised in different ways. While some Muslim schools do not organise any kind of IRE, others opt for IRE comparable to what is taught in mosques. In addition, a hybrid and more open approach is also possible. A last option consists of offering teaching marked by so-called active or alternative pedagogies, which are currently extremely popular in France. Although the IRE textbooks are still in their embryonic stage, they have largely integrated the question of citizenship and republican values, attempting to address the concerns of the public authorities about Islam in the context of numerous terror attacks.
