High school mobilization: classes suspended in 400 to 500 establishments before a new day of actions

After two national days of mobilization, September 29 and October 1, the high school movement enters its “act three”. On the eve of a major day of mobilization at the call of the High School Union and the Student Union, classes were "totally or partially" suspended on Monday October 5 in 400 to 500 establishments out of the country's 3,700 high schools after damage occurred on the sidelines of the blockades organized by the students, according to figures communicated Sunday evening by the Minister of National Education Edouard Geffray.

The demonstrators are demanding more human and financial resources for National Education. They denounce the lack of transparency of Parcoursup, the non-replacement of teachers, the dilapidation of the buildings and even busy schedules.

On social networks, the High School Union and the Student Union announced the holding of a large demonstration in Paris, on the Place de la République, from 2 p.m. Gatherings will also be held in around thirty cities, including Tours, Rennes, Brest, Nancy, Montpellier, Toulouse, Besançon, Perpignan and even Lille, according to the Student Union.

While Matignon estimated that the movement had descended over the previous week into "urban violence", the general secretary of the CGT, Sophie Binet, indicated that the union would be present in the demonstrations "to protect high school students". “We were scandalized by what we have seen over the past ten days and by this unprecedented repression that the government has organized,” she explained on TF1, while emphasizing that “violence always undermines mobilizations.”

“We do not send the police to evict high school students who are expressing demands.”

Sophie Binet, general secretary of the CGT

on TF1

Left-wing political figures have called on parents and, more broadly, adults to stand alongside high school students. This is particularly the case of the deputy of the environmentalist group Pouria Amirshahi and of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, candidate of La France insoumise in the presidential election, who estimated on his blog that "the duty is to help and protect our young people".

An inter-union of National Education called to join the high school movement, "including through strike", affirm the FSU, the CGT, FO, the CFDT, the Unsa, SUD and Solidaires in a joint press release. On franceinfo, Sophie Vénétitay, general secretary of the Snes-FSU union, estimated that the meeting held at the end of the week at the Ministry of Education had not made it possible to obtain "clear answers".

“We would like the Minister of Education and the Prime Minister to be able to make budgetary commitments,” argued the trade unionist, calling for a strike “in support of the demands of high school students”. In a roadmap sent to his ministers on Sunday evening, the Prime Minister asked that classes resume "wherever" possible, setting a timetable to partially respond to the demands. Sébastien Lecornu entrusted the government with five projects, arising from subjects raised by the academic councils of high school life, with “first decisions expected before the end of the month”.