Students have returned to school on September 1, 2026. For some teachers, the return to school could end abruptly. Six teachers have been summoned by the inspection services following reports of teaching methods requiring clarification. The Ministry of Education is considering whether these teachers can continue their roles. Six files were submitted before the coffee had even finished. These include reports on Miss Legourdin, Ben Ross, Miss Brodie, Julian Morrow, David Lurie, and the Professor from The Lesson.
Miss Legourdin is associated with the school project and launching of students. The file includes Matilda by Roald Dahl, where Miss Trunchbull, known as Miss Legourdin in the French translation, runs the school. The inspection is considering the use of physical violence as a method of assessment. Amanda Thripp, a student with braids, turns them into sports equipment, and Bruce Bogtrotter is made to eat an entire cake in front of the school. The provisional decision is immediate suspension and confiscation of all equipment related to an Olympic event.
Ben Ross is associated with the novel The Wave by Todd Strasser, where the history teacher starts a pedagogical experiment to demonstrate how a population can submit to a totalitarian regime. The experience spreads throughout the school, involving arm bands, collective salutes, and embryonic political parties. The provisional decision is to suspend the pedagogical innovation pending an administrative investigation.
Miss Brodie is associated with The Beautiful Years of Miss Brodie by Muriel Spark, where she influences students with her admiration for Mussolini and Franco. Joyce Emily is encouraged to join a nationalist camp in Spain, leading to her death when her train is attacked. The provisional decision is the removal from duties, as school orientation should not lead to foreign civil wars.
Julian Morrow is associated with The Master of Illusions by Donna Tartt, where he selects students for a training program focused on ancient Greek, beauty, truth, and self-transcendence. The students push their fascination with Dionysian ecstasy to the point of attempting a bacchanalia, resulting in a man's death. The provisional decision is the suspension of the seminar and an audit of all teaching that includes the words "ecstasy," "transcendence," and "Dionysos."
David Lurie is associated with Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee, where he has a sexual relationship with a student, leading to a disciplinary procedure. The provisional decision is confirmed departure, as the boundary between private life and responsibility is compromised.
The Professor from The Lesson by Eugène Ionesco is associated with a scenario where a professor kills his student with a knife. The provisional decision is immediate closure and transmission to the competent authorities, as some professional deviations are difficult to correct with continuing education.
The inspection has caused some cold sweats among colleagues. Professor Mégot, known for his humiliations and favoritism, did not wish to comment. Mr. Latouche asked if the summons was out of ten before sending the inspection to the corner. Gladys, the English teacher, answered in a language the academic services could not identify.
The discussion highlights the temptation to judge literary works with current regulations and moral categories. Literature is neither a model institution nor a manual of good practices, and its characters can be tyrannical, students cruel, and situations unacceptable. However, it is often under these conditions that literature becomes interesting.
Inspection Reviews Teaching Methods in Light of Literary Works
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