Dozens of French high schools were blockaded on Monday as students resumed demonstrations following a two-week holiday break. The protests, which have continued since September, focus on demands for additional replacement teachers, school building repairs, and improved conditions. Student unions have rejected recent government proposals and plan to escalate action, with university students planning barricades on Tuesday and trade unions organizing a nationwide strike on Thursday involving rail workers, teachers, and private-sector employees.
Students’ union representative Nathanaël Combary characterized the demonstrations as a necessary “battle of strength” with the government, arguing that previous offers to cap certain class sizes and review university applications procedures were insufficient. He stated that protest action remained the only effective means of securing government attention to their concerns about funding, higher education access, and school infrastructure.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray expressed concern that the extended absences from classes posed risks to students in final examination years who have missed weeks of instruction. He characterized the blockades as illegal and stated his priority was restoring normal school operations. An incident in Montpellier drew attention when a school nurse was detained by police near a school barricade, with a local official defending the action while a Socialist senator criticized it as government misconduct.
Disagreement emerged over the scale of the blockades, with the education ministry reporting 41 affected schools nationwide while students’ unions cited approximately 150. Headteachers’ union officials acknowledged student concerns but urged dialogue and a return to normal educational operations, warning that final-year coursework, examinations, and university applications faced disruption. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu indicated plans to meet with students’ unions in the coming week.
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