French Students Plan School Blockades After Rejecting Government Offers

High school blockades are set to restart across France on Monday as student groups push back against government proposals they call inadequate.

What Happened

Pierre Sourzat, head of the student group Lyceens!, announced that blockades will begin when students return from a two-week holiday. The action follows a third consecutive weekend of nationwide protests where hundreds of thousands of people marched against rising living costs and worsening learning conditions. While some schools face blockades on Monday, Mr. Sourzat stated that the action will grow larger on Tuesday. Sabrine Kharbach, a spokeswoman for the Union Etudiante, added that university and high school blockades are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday.

Government Response

The protests grew out of weeks of student demonstrations against high prices, poor school conditions, and inequality. On October 26, the government introduced several measures to meet protester demands, including plans to replace the university admissions platform and offer loans for school repairs. President Emmanuel Macron urged students to return to class calmly, maintaining that young people have been heard. Student leaders strongly rejected these steps. Mr. Sourzat called the government plan smoke and mirrors, pointing out that the proposed class size reduction applies only to 10th-grade classes rather than all year groups. He also argued that changes to the university admissions platform fail to solve the lack of higher education seats.

Context

France faces severe economic pressure as the eurozone's second-largest economy stands near a recession with high public debt, limiting the government's ability to spend more money to satisfy protesters. Public demonstrations and student strikes are a common form of political expression in France when citizens oppose national policy changes.