Protests and school students’ marches continue in France — what the education minister’s “emergency action plan” is supposed to resolve
Kyiv • UNN
French high school students have been protesting for the third week over a shortage of teachers and the condition of schools. The government has promised funded measures by the end of October.
On Thursday, French high school students blocked the operation of some schools and held marches through cities. The government promised to address the problems students had complained about — including a shortage of teachers and the dilapidated condition of school buildings — but provided few specifics, UNN reports, citing Reuters.
Details
The protest movement, now in its third week, has exposed deep tensions in France: on the one hand, public demands to invest in deteriorating public services, and on the other, a cash-strapped government under pressure from bond markets demanding cuts to public debt and the budget deficit.
Upper-secondary school teacher Diana Di Sciullo joined students during a large march in Marseille; she said that all they want is quality education in proper conditions. She criticized the problem of overcrowded classrooms, saying that 37 students are enrolled in her class this year.
What does France’s Education Ministry say?
According to the Education Ministry, the number of blocked schools was gradually declining. The ministry reported that 224 schools were closed in the morning, but by midday that number had fallen to 157, meaning that 96% of educational institutions were operating normally.
In some places in Paris, blockades led to clashes between police and protesters.
Large-scale protests took place across the country: from Lille in the north to Rennes and Nantes in the west, in the capital Paris, as well as in Toulon and Marseille in the south.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray met with students and teachers at a school in the city of Reims in the east of the country.
"I am now implementing an emergency measures plan to ensure the long-term replacement of absent teachers," he said after the meeting, adding that the issue of the overloaded school timetable was also being reviewed.
In France, it is not uncommon for students to have lessons from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., as well as to receive large amounts of homework.
Geffray also said he was working on possible improvements to Parcoursup — the national online university admissions portal, which has faced significant criticism because of its complexity and its ability to cause stress among applicants.
Late on Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu promised that by the end of October the government would present "concrete, swift and fully funded measures" in response to the protests, but gave no details.
One of the main complaints displayed on posters and banners was dissatisfaction with the excessively harsh actions of police during the wave of protests. A typical example of this discontent was the slogan: "Too young for you to listen to us, but old enough for you to fire tear gas at us".
Hundreds of arrests and dozens of injuries have been recorded since the movement began. On Wednesday, the government suspended the use of stun grenades for crowd control at protests after one teenager's hand was blown off in an explosion.
How are French politicians responding to the protests?
Six months before the election that will choose a successor to President Emmanuel Macron after the end of his second consecutive term in office, politicians’ reactions to the wave of student protests have proved sharply polarized.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen emphasized the damage caused to educational institutions by a small group of protesters and called on them or their parents to pay the repair bills. On Tuesday, she outlined plans to cut public spending if she wins.
Her opponent from the far-left camp, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who also has a chance of reaching the second round of the election, called the protesters "incredible" and condemned police brutality.
According to a poll conducted by Elabe for BFM TV, 72% of French people consider the students’ demands justified, but 55% of them believe that the protests should end.
The government is trying to strike a balance: condemning cases of violence — including arson attacks on schools and injuries to staff — while at the same time expressing understanding of some of the students’ complaints.