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Under secularism (laïcité), what can the State fund?
Model-written, not yet read by a native reader.
Correct answer: Teachers' salaries in a private school under contract. The State pays the teachers of private schools under contract. In return, these schools admit children without distinction of origin, opinion or belief. But the Republic does not subsidise any religion.
Sources: Sheet “Les établissements d'enseignement scolaire privés (ministère de l'Éducation nationale)” (French), read on 15 October 2026. Answer written by Hexaciv from this source. Hexaciv is an independent preparation tool. It is not an official website, is not linked to any government body and does not give legal advice. The authoritative source is the Ministry of the Interior's, cited on this page.
The four choices and why
- ✗ The organisation of a religious pilgrimageL'organisation d'un pèlerinage religieuxThis is not the right answer: the sheet says the State pays the teachers of private schools under contract.
- ✗ The building of a new church in the communeLa construction d'une nouvelle église dans la communeA new place of worship serves a religion: the Republic does not subsidise any religion.
- ✓ Teachers' salaries in a private school under contractLes salaires des enseignants d'une école privée sous contratCorrect answer. The State pays the teachers of private schools under contract. In return, these schools admit children without distinction of origin, opinion or belief. But the Republic does not subsidise any religion.
- ✗ The religious ceremonies of a worship associationLes cérémonies religieuses d'une association de culteAssociations whose only purpose is worship receive no public subsidy.
What the source says
« En contrepartie, l’État rémunère les enseignants, et les collectivités publiques doivent financer le fonctionnement de l’établissement dans les mêmes proportions qu’elles financent les établissements d'enseignement public. »
Sentence copied word for word from the source, in French, read on 15 October 2026.
How it reads on exam day
The exam is in French, so this is the question you will see: « Dans le cadre de la laïcité, que peut financer l'État ? ». Learn the English idea above and the French words in the options.
This question comes from the list of the naturalisation version of the exam (PDF relayed by Le Français des affaires, read on 14 October 2026; the Ministry's own page for this list did not answer). The list's wording: “En France, il est possible pour l'État de financer :”.
Where the Ministry explains it
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