I liked Souleymane?
Why is everyone so against flawed characters these days?
First of all, one thing many seem to overlook is M. Marin's sarcasm. From dissing Austria to his comment on the teachers' discussion panel against Souleymane, that seemed to fly over some heads. I'll get to the latter in a moment.
I think many viewers have taken for granted how he aimed to connect with the students more than the average teacher. This was evident to me most with Souleymane. He seemed to be one of the few, or perhaps the only one, who understood how shut down this boy was. It seemed to be implied that he had a slightly troubled upbringing, and thus, conventional teaching methods wouldn't work on him. He required teachers making an extra effort to connect with him and draw him out of his shell.
I loved the self-portrait segments, in which this was most evident. François was encouraging him to express himself, and when Souleymane brought in those photographs, and François gave him commendations, his face lit up with joy. A teacher was giving him recognition, and it appeared to be optimistic.
In the staff meeting that Esmeralda and Louise sat in, you'll notice that while all of the other teachers were dismissive, François made an attempt to defend him. He complimented his improvement and rejected the suggestions to give him harsh discipline. Then when provoked by his co-workers, he made a facetious retort about how he should just throw in the towel.
Obviously, this is where it went downhill. The girls misconstrued what he said (much like many of you here on this forum, apparently); Souleymane felt hurt and probably betrayed to some degree; François lost his temper, called the girls "skanks" just to sting them; and then, of course, Souleymane inadvertently injured Khoumba.
François then struggled with trying to figure out a way to smooth things over, but this isn't how it happens, unfortunately. As some others have mentioned, this conveyed the flaws within the academic justice system...the imperfections with warnings, points, and so forth. It stipulated the difficulties with coming to terms w/ such life-changing decisions, especially when in many cases like that of Souleymane's, you can't yield the inevitable. And you may never know what your disciplinary actions will lead to.
The point I'm trying to make here, above all else, is that Souleymane, François--they're all flawed. They're real. And that's what makes them fascinating. I'm sorry if you hoped for some twee, cheesy movie, where everything is resolved succinctly. This movie is incredible because it gives us an inside look, from an actual city teacher's perspective, and how idealism versus reality clash in various ways.
FYC: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker.