Macron Attends Funeral Of French Teacher Killed By Islamist

The funeral of Dominique Bernard, the French teacher tragically stabbed to death by a former Islamist pupil, took place in the northern city of Arras on Thursday. The service unfolded in the solemn ambience of Arras Cathedral, with French President Emmanuel Macron in attendance. A large screen set up in Heroes' Square allowed hundreds of mourners to follow the service, despite the rainy weather. Bernard, a 57-year-old father of three and husband to another teacher, was posthumously bestowed with France's highest civilian decoration, the Legion of Honour, by President Macron. Those who knew Bernard spoke of him with deep affection and respect. Paule Orsini, a former colleague, described him as "a wonderful person, someone who was a loyal friend, who drew on deep values." Maxime, a former pupil of Bernard, fondly remembered him as "kind" and "passionate" about teaching French. He praised Bernard for his enthusiasm in introducing students to literature, often adding insightful details about the authors he presented. Central Arras was tightly secured for the service, with traffic restrictions in place throughout the morning. The Gambetta-Carnot school, where Bernard taught, had suspended classes, enabling both staff and students to attend the ceremony. The tragic killing of  Bernard came almost three years after the brutal beheading of another French teacher, Samuel Paty, outside his school in a Paris suburb, an incident that sent shockwaves through France and beyond. The loss of Bernard has once again rattled the teaching profession and the broader French community.