French students returning from the autumn holidays blocked some high schools on Monday in a bid to revive a protest movement over learning conditions and inequality, despite concessions the government announced during the break.
The education ministry put the number of blockaded schools at 1% of France's 3,700 lycées, the high schools for 15- to 18-year-olds. The move followed a third consecutive weekend of demonstrations, when hundreds of thousands of people, including students, took to the streets on Saturday.
Cost-of-living rallies emerged after high school students launched nationwide demonstrations in September over learning conditions and inequality. During the break the government announced measures including changes to university admissions, more teachers and a cap on the number of pupils per class.
Some students said the measures were not enough. In Marseille, rubbish bins were stacked in front of the entrance to one high school on Monday morning. "We've resumed the movement because we were supposedly given answers, but... it's clearly not enough," Meriem, 16, told the AFP news agency, perched on one of the dumpsters.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray urged students to return to the classroom to avoid failing exams. "I have students who are sitting the baccalaureate at the end of the year and several hundred thousand of them haven't attended classes for four or five weeks," he told France Inter radio. President Emmanuel Macron called for classes to resume calmly, arguing that "young people have been heard".
The government has limited scope to appease protesters through additional spending: France, the European Union's second-largest economy, is on the brink of recession and under pressure to rein in debt.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The renewed blockades put the baccalaureate at risk for hundreds of thousands of students who have missed weeks of classes.
- The government has offered concessions, but a weak economy and high debt limit its room to spend its way out of the standoff.
- The movement has broadened from school conditions into cost-of-living rallies, giving it scope to keep growing.
Background
France has seen successive weekends of demonstrations since high school students began protesting in September over learning conditions and inequality, with the rallies expanding into wider cost-of-living protests. The government announced measures during the autumn holidays covering university admissions, teacher numbers and class sizes, but some students say they are insufficient.
Key Perspectives
- Students such as Meriem, 16: resumed the movement because the government's answers were "clearly not enough."
- Education Minister Édouard Geffray: students should return to the classroom to avoid failing exams, as several hundred thousand have not attended classes for four or five weeks.
- President Emmanuel Macron: classes should resume calmly, arguing that "young people have been heard."
What to Watch
- Whether the share of blockaded schools rises beyond the 1% recorded on Monday.
- Whether the government offers further measures or holds its position under budget pressure.
- Whether the protests feed into another large weekend of demonstrations.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedFrench students resumed protests by blocking some high schools after the autumn holidays.Euronews: “French students returning from autumn holidays blocked some high schools on Monday, determined to reinvigorate a protest movement”
- SupportedThe education ministry said 1% of France’s 3,700 lycées were blockaded.Euronews: “Just 1% of France's 3,700 high schools for 15 to 18-year-olds called lycées were blockaded, the education ministry said.”
- SupportedEducation Minister Édouard Geffray urged students to return to class to avoid failing exams.Euronews: “Education Minister Édouard Geffray told the France Inter radio station students should return to the classroom to avoid failing exams.”
- SupportedStudents resumed the protest movement over learning conditions and inequality.Euronews: “The cost-of-living rallies emerged after high school students launched nationwide demonstrations in September over learning conditions and inequality.”
- SupportedThe government announced concessions during the holiday break.Euronews: “French students returning from autumn holidays blocked some high schools on Monday, determined to reinvigorate a protest movement despite government concessions during the break.”
- SupportedHundreds of thousands of people, including students, took to the streets on Saturday for a third consecutive weekend of demonstrations.Euronews: “Pupils maintained their protest after hundreds of thousands of people, including students, took to the streets across France on Saturday for a third consecutive weekend of demonstrations.”
- SupportedMeriem said, “We've resumed the movement because we were supposedly given answers, but... it's clearly not enough,” and was perched on a dumpster.Euronews: “"We've resumed the movement because we were supposedly given answers, but... it's clearly not enough," 16-year-old Meriem told the AFP news agency, perched on one of the dumpsters.”
- SupportedGeffray said, “I have students who are sitting the baccalaureate at the end of the year and several hundred thousand of them haven't attended classes for four or five weeks.”Euronews: “"I have students who are sitting the baccalaureate at the end of the year and several hundred thousand of them haven't attended classes for four or five weeks," he said.”
- SupportedMacron called for classes to resume calmly, saying, “young people have been heard”.Euronews: “President Emmanuel Macron has called for classes to resume in a calm manner, arguing that "young people have been heard".”
- SupportedRubbish bins were stacked in front of a high-school entrance in Marseille on Monday morning.Euronews: “In the southern city of Marseille, several rubbish bins were stacked in front of the entrance to one high school on Monday morning.”
- SupportedThe government announced changes to university admissions, more teachers and a cap on pupils per class.Euronews: “The government has announced measures, including changing the university admissions process, ensuring more teachers and capping the number of pupils per class.”
- SupportedThe cost-of-living rallies followed high-school students’ nationwide demonstrations launched in September over learning conditions and inequality.Euronews: “The cost-of-living rallies emerged after high school students launched nationwide demonstrations in September over learning conditions and inequality.”