The “road map” sent by Sébastien Lecornu on Sunday to his ministers to deal with the high school mobilization is a simple exercise in “communication”, denounced this Monday morning Jean-Rémi Girard, French teacher and president of the national union of high schools, colleges, schools and higher education (SNALC). “At some point, we will have to put concrete things on the table, not just letters,” he adds. Prioritize teacher replacements? “We don’t have any replacements. Where are we going to find them?” Arrange the premises? “It doesn’t depend on the State so it doesn’t cost much to say it. It depends on the region.”
In a letter addressed this Sunday to his ministers, first and foremost the Minister of National Education, Sébastien Lecornu, urges his government team to “initiate five projects to respond to the difficulties of high school students and staff”. This work, which must result in proposals “before the end of October”, must “extend the dialogue initiated with high school representatives, trade union organizations and parents, in establishments and academies”, explains the Prime Minister, after a week of high school blockades marred by tensions and violence.
In his letter, Sébastien Lecornu wants classes to resume on Monday October 5 wherever security allows, and sets a timetable to respond to some of the demands, on the eve of a dreaded day of mobilization.
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Hundreds of high schools will close at least partially again on Monday, on the eve of a new day of mobilization, which unions are calling for to join, and while calls for a hard blockade are flourishing on social networks. The start of a “black week”?
Of the 3,700 high schools in the country, classes will be “totally or partially” suspended on Monday in 400 to 500 establishments where security conditions are “not met,” Minister of Education Édouard Geffray said on Sunday. In Ile-de-France, more than a third of high schools will be closed on Monday, or more than 160 establishments, according to the LR president of the region, Valérie Pécresse.
The High School Union promised an “Act III” on Tuesday, feared by Matignon, who believes that the movement has shifted towards “urban violence”. A large national education union called for participation in Tuesday's mobilizations. The CGT promised to be “alongside” high school students, in particular to “secure” the demonstrations, and called on energy employees, on strike, to join them.
Calls for a “black week” have also flourished on social networks, with daily blockages. “The high school students are not going to give up, the students even more so (...) it is really going to be a dark week: blockade, blockade, blockade, blockade,” assured Sunday, at the gathering in Saint-Denis, a mobilized student, Leila Nehari.
As in recent days, gatherings will in theory be prohibited on Monday near many schools. In Nancy, demonstrations will for example be prohibited throughout the city center from Monday at 6:00 a.m. until Wednesday 7:00 a.m., according to the prefecture.
Welcome to this live broadcast dedicated to the news surrounding the blocking of high schools. Hundreds of high schools will be closed at least partially again on Monday, before an “Act III” on Tuesday.
Students are demanding more resources for their establishments. They denounce the unsanitary conditions of buildings, overcrowded classes, or unreplaced absences, particularly in working-class neighborhoods, or even the inequalities created by Parcoursup.
Having left the Paris region in mid-September, the movement spread and ignited last week, marked by an increase in incidents and clashes with the police. The executive lists 5,000 arrests, including around 85% of minors, 24 establishments “burned or ransacked” and “78 National Education personnel injured”, “generally by people outside” the high schools concerned, according to the Minister of National Education, Édouard Geffray.
