Student protests in France continue over the state of the education system and lack of resources, leading to school closures and hundreds of injuries. Since the start of these protests nearly two weeks ago in the suburbs of Paris, around 3,000 people have been arrested and more than 250 have been injured.
Reasons for the Protests
Students criticize the shortage of teachers and support staff in schools. The French Ministry of Education has announced that in the 2024-2025 school year, nearly 10 percent of classes in public schools will be without a teacher. One student said about this: "Our school has been paralyzed due to the lack of resources and teachers. We have no nurse or supervisor, and they just take our phones away from us."
Additionally, students have expressed dissatisfaction with inadequate infrastructure and lack of facilities in schools. A 15-year-old student in the suburbs of Paris said: "We have 35 people in each class and not enough chairs. In the summer, the temperature reaches 35 degrees Celsius, and the conditions are unbearable."
Expansion of Protests
The protests began with students at Lycée Saint-Exupéry in Créteil and quickly spread to other areas of Île-de-France and then to other cities in France. On Friday, about 900 gatherings took place across the country, and more than 500 French schools remained closed. Students engaged in setting fires and blocking schools during these protests.
The Minister of Education, Édouard Geoffroy, met with representatives of educational unions, student organizations, and parent associations in an effort to reduce tensions. In this meeting, he stated that students need to be heard and their issues require specific responses. Geoffroy also introduced a platform for students to submit their suggestions for educational reforms.
However, student organizations called for the continuation of protests after these meetings, stating that no actions have been taken by the government to address their issues.
The student protests also criticize the online university registration system, which they claim is a source of stress and distrust in the education system.
These protests coincide with rising temperatures in the summer and deadly heatwaves in Europe. In France, nearly 8,000 people lost their lives during the summer due to high temperatures.
Ultimately, Minister Geoffroy pointed out that one of the difficulties of this movement is that there are no national demands, and the protests are largely limited to local requests.
