High school protests in France, which began in response to teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, poorly maintained school buildings, and heavy curricula, have spread nationwide. Education has been disrupted in hundreds of schools due to the protests, which have been ongoing for about 10 days, and at least 600 people were detained in demonstrations held today.
The protests first began with the blocking of school entrances at some high schools in the Paris region. The movement quickly spread to different cities. Students are demanding that new appointments be made to replace absent teachers, that class sizes be reduced, that staffing shortages be addressed, and that more resources be allocated to education.
According to the Ministry of Education, as of noon today, 564 high schools have been affected by the protests or disruptions. Minister of Education Edouard Geffray announced that approximately 400 high schools have been kept closed for security reasons, and that education is continuing remotely in many schools.
SECURITY MEASURES INCREASED IN SCHOOLS
Police used tear gas in Strasbourg, while fireworks were thrown at security forces in Marseille. In some regions, bicycles and trash containers were set on fire. In the incidents that occurred during yesterday's protests, 949 people were detained nationwide, and 305 police officers, gendarmes, and firefighters were injured.
The Île-de-France Regional Administration announced that violence, clashes, or damage were recorded at 55 high schools in the region today. It was reported that since the beginning of the movement, the entrances or security sections of approximately 50 schools in the region have been partially or completely damaged, and the material damage has reached approximately 1 million euros.
Fires broke out at the Henri-Moissan High School in the city of Meaux and at the Roger-Verlomme, Gaston-Bachelard, and Léonard-de-Vinci high schools in Paris. It was reported that flames from bicycles and trash containers set on fire at the Gaston-Bachelard Vocational High School spread to the school's entrance. It was also reported that trash containers were burned in Rennes.
Minister Geffray said that the violent incidents should be evaluated separately from the students' initial demands. Describing the students' initial demands as "legitimate," Geffray stated that many school principals reported that the attackers were not their own students. The Minister also called on parents to keep their children away from street protests.
INVESTIGATION INTO POLICE INTERVENTIONS
Police interventions against some students have also become the subject of an investigation. The General Inspectorate of the French National Police has launched 3 investigations into interventions in different cities. While Amnesty International called on security forces to exercise proportionality in the use of force, it also condemned the acts of violence that occurred during the demonstrations.
The protests that started in high schools have also spread to universities. University students in many cities, including Paris, Lyon, Lille, Aix-Marseille, Rouen, Brest, Poitiers, Reims, and Dijon, joined the protests. Poverty, the lack of resources allocated to higher education, and the improvement of educational conditions came to the fore in the university students' demands.
Following the growth of the protests, the government began to establish direct contact with student, parent, and union representatives. Geffray met with representatives of student organizations, parent associations, and education unions today to listen to their demands. The Minister said, "Our young people need to feel that they are being heard."
President Emmanuel Macron also stated in a statement during his visit to Spain on September 30 that he hears and understands the "concerns and sometimes anger" of young people. Macron stated that young people may have legitimate debates, but "none of these debates and concerns justify violence."
It was reported that Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu chaired an inter-ministerial crisis meeting following the increase in violent incidents. While the government increased security measures around some high schools, it decided not to allow demonstrations around schools closed for security reasons.
Student organizations in France have called for new protests to be held in high schools and universities on Tuesday, October 6. Some teachers' unions also called on education workers to support the students by going on strike on the same day.
While the protests in France continue, high school students in the Belgian city of Liege have also begun to block their schools. Students demanded smaller classes, a sufficient number of teachers, more resources for education, and more say in decision-making processes. While some high schools in Liege were kept closed for security reasons, it was reported that 6 people were detained following the incidents.
News Source: 12punto
