&gt;  Separation of church and state is a top priority (well above the U.S. and U.K. -- for instance, head coverings are not allowed in public schools).<p>That&#x27;s not separation of church and state, that&#x27;s suppression of unpopular religion by the secular state, which is no different than suppression of unpopular religion in favor of a popular religion by the state. (And its not just in schools, though that was one of the focal points in the debates, the ban applies in all public spaces in France.)