French pupils resume school blockades as protests intensify
Dozens of high schools were blockaded again on Monday, raising fears that missed lessons could jeopardise final exams.
Blockades restart in dozens of schools
On Monday, students in Paris and its suburbs, as well as in Lille, Toulouse and Marseille, again blocked the entrances of high schools. They used wheelie bins to create barricades, while police tried to remove the bins and made arrests.
Students’ demands
Members of the school students’ union Renouveau Lycéen say they are pressing for:
More replacement teachers
Repairs to dilapidated school buildings
Increased funding for education
Nathanaël Combary, who also belongs to President Macron’s party Renaissance, told BFMTV that protests are the only way to obtain a government response, adding that the measures offered last week to cap class sizes and review the university applications platform are insufficient.
Government warning
Education Minister Édouard Geffray said the school year is “at risk” for many final‑year pupils who have missed “four or five weeks” of classes, including holidays. He emphasized that students sitting the baccalauréat could be unable to complete coursework or catch up on the curriculum.
Geffray called the blockades “illegal” and said his priority is to get children back into classrooms.
Planned strike and broader unrest
Trade unions have announced a large‑scale strike for Thursday. Rail workers, teachers and private‑sector employees are expected to join demonstrations in cities across France, supporting the schoolchildren’s demands and protesting the rising cost of living and low salaries.
Incidents and differing counts
In Montpellier, a video showed a 53‑year‑old school nurse being forced face‑down, handcuffed and taken into police custody after an alleged insult to officers. Socialist senator Hussein Bourgi called the incident “misconduct” and “provocation.” The local prefect defended the arrest, citing the nurse’s alleged resistance.
The education ministry reported that 41 high schools were blocked, roughly 1 % of the national total, while students’ unions claim the number is closer to 150.
Headteachers’ response
Nicolas Bonnet of the headteachers’ union SNPDEN‑UNSA urged a return to teaching, warning that coursework, final‑year exams and university applications are at risk if disruptions continue.
The situation remains tense as France braces for another week of protests and a nationwide strike, with the education system hanging in the balance.
