A French student union has urged high school pupils to keep blockading schools and joining street protests, saying the government’s education proposals do not go far enough to meet students’ demands over staff shortages and deteriorating buildings.
“We’re at the negotiating table,” Pierre Sourzat of Les Lycéens told France Info television on Monday, while calling for continued mobilisation to secure as many of the union’s demands as possible. “We want measures, not half measures,” he said.
The government has proposed capping class sizes for 15-year-olds at 28 in high schools in the lowest-income areas, with the limit due to extend to all high schools next year. Education minister Édouard Geffray also announced a €4bn loan for regional authorities to begin repairing schools and said more teaching posts would be created.
The proposals followed more than five weeks of school blockades that began in September. Students have called for an end to shortages of teachers and other staff, as well as repairs to buildings affected by problems including mould, broken toilets and damaged ceilings.
The government also plans to review the French baccalaureate system. The university application platform Parcoursup is due to be changed in 2027 and replaced in 2028. Higher education minister Philippe Baptiste said 15,000 additional places would be created, with a focus on vocational courses.
Louis Letoublon of Les Lycéens, who met prime minister Sébastien Lecornu, said the demonstrations had made the government listen, but that not all demands had been met. He said students would continue their campaign, while Baptiste said the government remained open to further discussions.
The protests have taken place alongside demonstrations involving trade unions and people protesting over the cost of living. Authorities have introduced security measures and restrictions on demonstrations following serious violence on 17 October. President Emmanuel Macron said nationwide protests were likely to continue and described the next planned demonstration, on 31 October, as a “day of risk.”
Sources: The Guardian Education.