French high school student protests resume on a small scale as soon as mid-term break ends

(London = Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Ji-yeon = Student protests resumed on a small scale on the 2nd (local time), the first day of school for most high schools in France after a two-week mid-term vacation.

According to Reuters and Le Monde, the entrances to some high schools in Paris, Marseille, Rennes, and Lille were blocked by students this morning. According to the Ministry of Education, 41 schools, or about 1% of all high schools nationwide, were closed on this day.

The protest, which began last September at a high school in the outskirts of Paris by students dissatisfied with the poor educational environment, spread significantly last month, preventing hundreds of schools from opening.

After the mid-term vacation began, labor unions, the Yellow Vest movement, and others protesting the lack of public investment and high prices joined in, leading to three consecutive large-scale weekend protests on the 17th, 24th, and 31st of last month.

On the 26th of last month, the Emmanuel Macron government announced measures such as reorganizing the Parcoursup system, which manages applications and selection for universities and other higher education courses, supporting school renovation, expanding teachers, and reducing the number of students per class.

However, student representatives say that the government's measures are not sufficient.

“We will continue the blockade because we have realized that some of the things the government has announced are just facades,” said Louis Le Toublon, vice president of the student group L’Éricéan.

Rutublong pointed out that the promise to limit the number of students per class to 28 is not supported by financial resources, that there is not enough refurbishment of school facilities in the form of loans, and that there is a significant lack of new seats in higher education institutions.

He also pointed out that groups are taking issue with the selection system itself at public universities, and the intention behind reforming Parkourship is also unclear.

This disappointment was clearly revealed at a general meeting of high school student representatives from about 30 cities on the 29th of last month, with voices saying, "There will be no normalization even after school starts," Le Monde reported.

However, there are somewhat conflicting opinions among student groups regarding protest strategies.

L'Éricéan called for schools to be blocked on the 2nd, the first day of school on Monday, but the Union of High School Students (USL) is calling for students to return to school first to prepare for the first day and then block them from the 3rd.

University students who have participated in the high school protest are demanding that all universities operate normally. College students claim that many university administrations have been closed in recent weeks, which has hindered students' right to protest.

High school and college student groups have decided to participate in the union general strike protest to be held on the 5th and are urging people to participate.