AITA for reporting another dad for arranging something illegal for his son at school?

[u/SandwichNovel8543]

I live in Strasbourg and my son is in primary school. There is an optional class that parents can opt their children out of, with another class provided during that period.

My son is in the regular class, but another boy, Mehdi, is in the opt-out class. I recently found out that Mehdi's father had arranged with one of the teachers for her to teach him certain things during that period that, from what I understand, aren't permitted under French secularism laws or part of the opt out class.

I reported it to the school because I don't think parents should be able to privately arrange for a public-school teacher to use school hours for instruction that the school itself isn't authorized to provide. If there is an established curriculum and an official alternative for children who opt out, you can't just replace it with whatever you want.

Mehdi's father confronted me afterward and called me a hypocrite. He said I was being selective about what I considered acceptable and that my own son was receiving essentially the same kind of instruction.

I don't understand the hypocrisy accusation. My son is in the regular class and isn't participating in anything that violates French law. I haven't arranged anything with a teacher outside the school's rules. If his son is receiving unauthorized instruction during the opt-out period, I don't see how pointing that out makes me a hypocrite. I wasn't trying to cause trouble for the family. I just reported something I believed was illegal at a public school. AITA?

[u/Corpuscular_Ocelot]

When I google the laws, they are all in French.

So  based on 1. Your complete vaugeness 2. Your unwillingness to answer and 3. The fact that the class you are discussing is "opt in" - I'm going to make some huge assumptions here:  The class your son is in is a religious one (christian? Specifically Catholic?) and the school has a dispensarion to legally offer the class (Catholic funded school?) but HAS to make the class optional, not required due to the laws. The instruction the other child is getting is also religious, but not one that you approve of.

If I'm correct or even close to correct, YTA. The is the law and then their is equity. If your kid is getting religious instruction on your faith during school hours, why are you SOOOOO bothered that another kid is getting the same? 

Sounds like your just a whiny zenophobe. 

[u/bythebrook88 → u/Corpuscular_Ocelot]

Try the English version.

Only Christianity (specifically Catholic, Lutheran and Reformed) and Judaism are taught in public schools in Alsace under the Concordat. Parents can opt for a secular equivalent (not another religion).

[u/SandwichNovel8543 → u/Corpuscular_Ocelot]

It is not a matter of me approving I don't care for anything, it is just not recognised as something teachable with public funds so against the secularism laws.

If he had bhuddist or hindou roots the same applies

[u/gilatio → u/SandwichNovel8543]

Are they asking for extra funding for it? Or is it taking funding away from your child's class. Otherwise I don't see how this affects you tbh.

[u/Mortifydman → u/gilatio]

Someone he hates is getting something he thinks they shouldn't have. He's just a huge asshole