French primary school children will start studying the history of slavery from the next academic year to increase awareness in society of the suffering it caused, President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Saturday.
The role played by French merchants and shippers in the West African slave trade forms part of the history curriculum in secondary schools, although some campaigners say the issue is not studied thoroughly enough.
"It is a story that must be told in school books so that our children can understand what slavery was, measure the suffering it caused and the scars it left in the souls of those who cannot separate themselves from this tragic past," Sarkozy said at a ceremony commemorating slavery's victims where he announced the move.
France was one of the nations most active in the transatlantic slave trade. A first law abolishing slavery was passed in 1794, during the French Revolution, but Napoleon made slavery legal again in 1802. It was abolished for good in 1848.
The French parliament passed a law on May 10, 2001, declaring that the slave trade was a crime against humanity. Since 2006, France has held an annual national commemoration of slavery on May 10. It is a theme that still resonates in France, which struggles to integrate many of its residents of African origin. Sarkozy said a greater awareness of slavery would "appease" society, although he did not explain exactly what he meant.
In the past, Sarkozy has made comments that offended many people of African origin. During his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as president last year, he shocked public opinion with a speech suggesting Africans had failed to embrace progress.