Cartoonist sparks controversy in the classroom

Barrique's illustrations have sparked controversy. Dessin de Barrique

Two Swiss cantons have forked out SFr420,000 ($300,000) to reprint a key maths textbook following claims that some of the illustrations were in poor taste.

However, schools in other cantons have distributed copies of the same book to their pupils – complete with the controversial graphics.

The French-based illustrator Thierry Barrigue has been providing illustrations for maths books that have been used in Swiss classes for nearly 20 years.

But this year was different. During early summer, education authorities in Geneva and Vaud took the unprecedented decision of pulping copies because certain illustrations were deemed to be in poor taste.

The books were reprinted without those graphics at a cost of SFr420,000.

However, cantons such as Valais, Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Jura and Bern, have not followed suit.

“They are just drawings,” said Meher, a seventh-grade pupil at a French-speaking school in Bern.

Storm in a tea cup

He was referring to one where a professor is angry with a pupil, who has put up a poster saying “Wanted dead or alive – maths teacher, $10,000”.

“These images are funny and are not going to make you kill your maths teacher,” he added.

Fellow pupil Nicholas added: “You cannot be influenced by such drawings. They might attract the eye but at the end of the day, it’s just a maths book.”

However, Meher – who is of Tunisian origin – is perturbed by one particular illustration showing two white children asking a black child about his roots.

“I find that a bit racist,” he says.

The school’s headmaster, Michel Clémençon, is not surprised that certain urban regions are more upset by the illustrations than others. However, the controversy has certainly made him smile.

“When you are teaching, you can take yourself a bit too seriously. These drawings are teasing about both pupils and teachers. I don’t see what the fuss is about,” Clémençon said.

swissinfo

In brief

Frenchman Thierry Barrigue has been illustrating French-language maths books for nearly 20 years.

Cantons Geneva and Vaud reprinted copies of a maths book without illustrations by Barrigue that they deemed unsuitable.

This exercise cost SFr420,000 ($300,000).

Other cantons, such as Bern, thought this was an unnecessary expense and are using the book in its original format.