The high school mobilization begins its third week of protests, marked by “act 5” scheduled for Tuesday, October 13. This new meeting is decisive before the start of the All Saints' Day holidays which could see a movement already losing momentum run out of steam. Last Thursday October 8, the rallies brought together 71,500 demonstrators throughout France according to the Ministry of the Interior, compared to nearly 256,000 people - still on national territory - on Tuesday October 6. The Minister of National Education Édouard Geffray estimated that “the movement was clearly declining in its effects on the opening of establishments, with centers of disruption now more limited”.
Students and unions therefore hope to relaunch the movement and continue to assert their demands. What will this “act 5” of Tuesday look like (after “act 1” of September 29, “act 2” of October 1, “act 3” of October 6 and “act 4” of October 8)? Le Figaro takes stock.
In Paris, a procession is due to set off at 2 p.m. from Place d’Italie (13th arrondissement) towards Les Invalides (7th arrondissement). Other cities will join the movement such as Marseille at 10:30 a.m., Nice at 2 p.m. and Poitiers at 2 p.m., where unions have called to take to the streets. These gatherings should be extended to National Education staff, under the leadership of the same group of six unions which launched the demonstration on September 29: the FSU, the UNSA Education, the FNEC FP FO, the CFDT Education Training and Public Research, the CGT Educ’action and SUD Education.
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This is certainly not the first time that France has been the scene of a high school mobilization, but it presents particular characteristics. It is first of all broad and does not focus on the request for the withdrawal of a legal text or a measure, as was often the case in the past, with for example the mobilization against the Fillon law (school orientation law) in 2005, or in 2006 against the CPE (First Hire Contract).
The current demands are diverse. We mention both the poor state of certain high schools, the unfilled teaching positions, but also the extended schedules and the anxiety caused by the Parcoursup system, analyzes Jérôme Fourquet, in his new book Homo occidentalis, co-written with the psychologist and psychoanalyst Ruben Rabinovitch.
THE COMPLETE ANALYSIS OF JÉRÔME FOURQUET
The mobilization of young people must be done “calmly, in order and with respect for both people and property,” declared Emmanuel Macron on Monday, on the eve of a new day of actions and strike in support of the high school movement.
Their demands are “subjects that deserve time, consultation, discussion, respect,” repeated the president, on the sidelines of a visit to the Mondial de l’Auto in Paris, adding, to the address of La France insoumise, that “in several places, there has been a desire to recover” the anger of young people.
“The government is moving forward (...) all the ministers concerned are also on the ground to carry out this work of listening, consultation and then decision,” he assured as the deployment of 3,000 replacement teachers, announced last week by the executive, began.
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Believing they have received “only crumbs”, the high school students are calling for a new national day of demonstrations on Tuesday, while the government hopes for a deceleration of the movement as the school holidays approach.
In Paris, the student and high school demonstration will set off at 2:00 p.m. from Place d'Italie to reach Les Invalides, not far from Matignon and the Ministry of Education.
“They don’t listen to us, we’re going to look for them,” announced the Student Union on X, while high school and student organizations have been asking for several days to be received by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. In the capital, a call for another demonstration, from City Hall to Matignon, undeclared, is circulating on the networks.
Following the call for this Act V, the High School Students' Union is still demanding the abolition of Parcoursup - also demanded by Insoumis leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon - and a plan of 10 billion euros for high schools. The demonstrators hope to link up with the mobilization “against the high cost of living”, planned for Saturday, the first day of the All Saints’ Day holidays.
