In France, blockades of lycées will resume on Monday, November 2, after a two-week break. Student and university organizations consider the government’s measures to overcome the education crisis insufficient and are preparing a new wave of protests. France 24 reports, writes UNN.
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On the eve, October 31, around 320,000 people took part in demonstrations across the country. The protests have continued for the third weekend in a row and encompass not only educational issues but also the rapid rise in the cost of living.
Pierre Sourza, head of the “Lycées!” student organization, said that the first educational institutions would be blocked as early as Monday, while the demonstrations would become larger on Tuesday.
Students accused Macron of ignoring their demands
The French government had previously proposed reforming the university admissions platform, providing loans for school renovations, and reducing the size of certain classes.
However, the protesters consider these measures insufficient. In particular, they emphasize that the changes do not resolve the problem of the shortage of university places, while the reduction in the number of students applies only to 10th-grade classes.
President Emmanuel Macron called for a calm resumption of classes, saying that the authorities had heard young people.
This is a deception. On the surface, there is a bit of polishing, but if you scratch beneath it, there is nothing there
Student unions also announced blockades of universities and lycées on Tuesday and Thursday. At the same time, the government’s capacity to provide additional funding for education is limited by economic difficulties and the growing national debt.