After a turbulent week in National Education, marked by two major days of high school protests, blockades and the participation of certain students, what will be the consequences of the mobilization during the last week before the All Saints' Day holidays? In Paris, around twenty establishments bring together middle and high schools within school campuses; in one of them, the Voltaire college-high school, in the east of the capital, the middle school students had almost no classes this week.
Friday morning, Matthieu accompanies his son Thomas, a 6th grade student, in front of the middle school. “I think he has missed at least five days of school so far,” notes his father. At home, the little boy killed time as best he could. “Most of the time I read, sometimes I did homework, as the teachers gave extra, and sometimes I played video games,” says Thomas.
This Friday morning, the high school students agreed so that the little ones could go to class. “They ended up letting the middle school students in. I think it’s a good thing, that it can only help their mobilization, especially since middle school students don’t have the same autonomy as teenagers who are in high school,” believes Matthieu.
Happy that the situation is calming down, at least for a day, he fully supports the high school movement. He himself is a professor at a university, also blocked. "These have been endemic problems for years, in fact. Teachers are looked upon poorly, our good will is taken advantage of, all these reforms that are imposed on us and applied..."
“We don’t ask teachers for their opinion, we would be in the best position to know what needs to be put in place.”
Matthieu, university professor
at franceinfo
Exceptionally, college students enter through a small door, while the main entrance is always surrounded by trash cans. “I’m in 5th grade, we missed several classes,” says a schoolgirl. When asked if they support the mobilization, they nod: “Yes, of course!” “In fact, high school students have poor working conditions, so they blockade to obtain rights!” explains a schoolgirl. And when asked what she thinks about it, she replies: “It’s nice, for the generations after.”
Supportive schoolchildren, like Suzon, Marie's daughter, who has just entered 6th grade. “We talk about it: she even did a bit of a demonstration on Tuesday with her friend and her friend’s parents,” she says. Suzon is already somewhat aware of the lack of resources in national public education. His mother is also delighted to see this generation express itself. “I find it really good that today’s youth, who are said to be completely addicted to screens and TikTok, are standing up for their future, their needs, and I find that super important!”
She would still like this not to prevent the little ones from going to class, like in this school complex where all levels are together. “The problem is that there is a difference in treatment between middle school students who are not in high schools and those who are in school campuses like that and who do not have access to courses. So there must not be a gap, there must be equality for everyone,” she emphasizes.
Especially since for some 6th grade students, the blockade has created a little anxiety. "I was more afraid that the college would be on fire, because we heard that there were high schools that burned down. We wouldn't have been able to go to college and change colleges, so that would have scared me," confides a middle school student.
