The French government reacts to the high school mobilization with measures to resume classes

Sébastien Lecornu asked that classes resume “wherever” where security conditions allow, in a “road map” addressed on Sunday to several of his ministers in the face of the high school mobilization, which sets a timetable to respond to part of their demands.

The head of government is asking in particular for the launch in each academy this week of “priority treatment of the replacement of long absences and unfilled positions”, with a first assessment expected on October 16. He also convenes a meeting on Tuesday with regional presidents on the renovation of educational establishments and asks his ministers for initial proposals for improvements to Parcoursup by the end of October.

Between 400 and 500 high schools closed on Monday in France

Earlier in the day, the Minister of National Education announced that classes will be “totally or partially” suspended on Monday in “400 to 500” high schools where security conditions “are not met”.

In Île-de-France alone, more than a third of high schools will be closed on Monday, or more than 160 establishments, on the eve of a new day of blockages feared by the government, the LR president of the Ile-de-France region, Valérie Pécresse, announced on Sunday on France Info. “That actually means more than a third” of the 468 public high schools in the region, declared Ms. Pécresse, deploring that the movement to block high schools is turning, according to her, into “urban riots”.

Started on September 17 in the Paris region, the protest and blockade movement of high school students gradually spread throughout the country and ignited Thursday in many cities in France. Friday was marked by tensions and more than 1,700 arrests – for a total of 5,000 since Monday – and the organizers are calling for the mobilization to continue on Tuesday for lack of “concrete measures”.

The mobilized high school students are demanding more human and financial resources for National Education, complaining about pressure from Parcoursup, teachers not being replaced, dilapidated buildings and even busy schedules.