French high school blockades to restart on Monday, student unions say

Paris, November 1 — A student leader warned that a nationwide campaign of high school blockades would resume from Monday, stating the government's proposed solutions were insufficient. Hundreds of thousands of individuals, including students from high schools and universities, had taken to the streets across France for the third consecutive weekend of protests.

Pierre Sourzat, head of the “Lycéens!” group, announced that some high schools would be blockaded starting Monday, the day students returned from a two-week break. According to Sourzat, the disruption would be more pronounced from Tuesday, with blockades potentially beginning as early as tomorrow. He expressed solidarity with fellow protestors who planned to block their schools from the following day.

The movement in France against rising prices stemmed from weeks of demonstrations by high school students, who were protesting deteriorating learning conditions and inequality. On Monday, the government unveiled a series of measures intended to address the demands of student protesters, such as replacing the university admissions platform and providing loans for school renovations.

However, students argued that these proposals did not go far enough. Sabrine Kharbach, a spokeswoman for the Union Etudiante (Student Union), revealed that blockades of universities and high schools were planned for Tuesday and Thursday.

President Emmanuel Macron called for the resumption of classes in a peaceful manner, emphasizing that "young people have been heard." However, Sourzat disagreed, asserting that "the president hasn't listened to us." He described the president's actions as "smoke and mirrors," claiming there was little substance behind the surface-level changes.

Sourzat criticized the proposed overhaul of the university admissions platform, which has long been criticized for its lack of transparency, stating it failed to address the shortage of places in higher education. He also dismissed the government's plan to reduce class sizes, noting that it would only apply to 10th-grade classes and not all year groups.

As France, the eurozone's second-largest economy, teeters on the brink of recession and faces pressure to reduce its debt, the government's ability to appease student protesters through further spending is limited.