French students plan fresh nationwide protests over poor school conditions

President Emmanuel Macron, speaking to journalists on Monday, acknowledged that the issues raised by students required attention but cautioned that resolving them would take time.

He called for dialogue and restraint, stressing the need for consultation and respectful engagement between the authorities and protesters.

“These are issues that deserve time, consultations, discussion and respect,” Macron said.

Government offers substitute teachers as students reject intervention

In response to complaints about teacher shortages, the government has announced plans to deploy approximately 3,000 substitute teachers to schools most affected by staff absences.

The measure followed last week’s nationwide demonstrations, with the government identifying 114 high schools as requiring particular attention. A government spokesperson said on Monday that the process of assigning substitute teachers had already begun.

However, the national students’ union criticised the intervention, describing the proposed response as inadequate and demanding an additional €10bn investment in lycées.

The dispute has also exposed divisions among parents and students over the consequences of the demonstrations. While some families support the campaign for improved school conditions, others are concerned about the amount of teaching time being lost because of blocked school entrances.

Some parents have also questioned whether opposition political groups are using young protesters to advance their own interests.

In Paris, some parents appealed to students to end the blockades and allow lessons to resume. One mother, who identified herself by the pseudonym Gladys, argued that preventing other students from entering school undermined democratic principles.

Clara Juillet, a university student in Tours, also criticised the disruption, saying she had been unable to attend classes for a week because of the protests.

The Tuesday demonstrations were expected to be followed by broader public rallies on Saturday against the rising cost of living, with some student protesters hoping to connect their demands for better school conditions with wider economic concerns.

Naila, a 17-year-old student in Rennes who planned to join Tuesday’s protest, said she hoped the student movement would unite with the broader demonstrations planned for the weekend.

The coming days are expected to test the government’s ability to respond to concerns about France’s schools while balancing students’ right to protest against the need to protect school communities and prevent further disruption to education.

AFP