Student protests that started in France against problems in the education system continue to spread throughout the country.
In the protests that have been going on for four weeks, students are demanding that the teacher shortage be closed, crowded classes be reduced and neglected school buildings be renovated.
In many cities, especially the capital Paris, students gathered in front of schools on Tuesday morning, October 13, and shouted slogans with banners and megaphones.
While the entrances of some schools were blocked with barricades, new marches were planned to be held later in the day.
French Education Minister Edouard Geffray stated in his statement to France Inter radio that approximately 200 schools are closed.
Geffray stated that some of the closures were due to security measures on the route of the protest marches.
GRETA THUNBERG IS WITH THE STUDENTS
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, known for her actions to combat climate change, participated in the protest in front of the Paul Eluard High School in the Saint-Denis suburb in the north of Paris.
Supporting the students, Thunberg said that the struggle young people started to defend their fundamental rights deserves international solidarity.
In her statement to journalists, Thunberg stated that people all over the world follow the developments in France and are inspired by the determination of young people to demand their rights.
Thunberg made a connection between insufficient resources allocated to schools, the climate crisis and social inequalities, and emphasized that young people should have a say in their future.
Thunberg also criticized the police interventions against the protests, describing the attitude of the security forces as "extremely violent".
In demonstrations across France, riot police teams intervened with tear gas against protesters in various incidents.
It was reported that hundreds of people were injured and thousands of people were detained during the demonstrations.
The government suspended the use of stun grenades used by police after a teenager lost his hand last week.
Police interventions also brought about political debates in the country. While left-wing parties argued that security forces used disproportionate force, far-right politician Marine Le Pen drew attention to the violent incidents during the protests.
Le Pen and some politicians brought up the damage to school buildings and injuries to police officers and education workers.
EDUCATION CRISIS IS DEEPENING IN FRANCE
The basis of the students' protests are long-standing educational infrastructure problems.
Disruption of classes due to the lack of teachers, the increase in the number of students in classes and the disrepair of some school buildings are among the main complaints of the demonstrators.
The Ministry of Education announced measures to solve the problems, including assigning 3 thousand substitute teachers to the regions where they are needed most and increasing the education budget.
However, student organizations decided to continue the protests, arguing that the measures taken were insufficient.
The student protests are taking place at a time of increasing political uncertainty, about six months before the presidential elections in France.
While economic pressures continue in the country due to high public debt and budget deficit, the government is having difficulty allocating additional resources to solve the problems in the education system.
Rising borrowing costs also make it difficult to expand public expenditures.
Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Unity Party, which stands out in public opinion polls, advocates cuts in spending in order to control public finances.
Although the government announced that it would take steps to meet the demands of the students, it has not been able to end the protests.
