Claude Allègre

Claude Allègre (born March 31, 1937) is a French geochemist and politician.

His important scientific work on geochemistry won him

• the Craaford Prize for geology,
• the Wollaston Medal of the Geological Society of London,
• the Golden Medal of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.

A member of the French Socialist Party, he's better known to the general public for his past political responsabilities, which included being Minister of Education of France in the Jospin cabinet, from June 4, 1997 to March 2000, when he was replaced by Jack Lang. His frequent outpours of allegations against teaching personnel, as well as his reforms had made him increasingly impopular in the teaching world.

See also: Politics of France