The key facts
- The Ministry of National Education confirmed the blockade of 81 high schools by 10:00 on November 5; the USL union speaks of more than a thousand high schools
- The student actions coincided with a general strike: demands for wage increases, an end to budget austerity, and investment in education
- In Paris, police used tear gas to disperse participants of the blockades
Scale of the blockades: official figures diverge from the union's estimates
On the morning of November 5, protesters in France blocked 81 high schools across the country — BFMTV reports this, citing the country's Ministry of National Education. By 10:00 local time, access had been restricted at roughly 2.2% of French high schools, while in 84% of departments authorities recorded no such incidents at all. However, the Union Syndicale Lycéenne (USL), a union of high school students, claims that the protest actions led to the suspension of more than a thousand high schools; there is no independent confirmation of this estimate yet. The discrepancy in figures means the real scale of the actions remains uncertain: official statistics record only confirmed blockades, whereas the union, judging by its wording, counts a broader range of suspended educational institutions.
Student protests amid a general strike
The student actions are taking place simultaneously with a nationwide strike of workers from various industries: unions are demanding wage increases, better working conditions, and that the government abandon additional budget austerity measures. School and university students, dissatisfied with the state of the education system, complain about a shortage of teachers, poor building conditions, and overloaded schedules, and are demanding additional investment in schools and universities. In Paris, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, and Toulouse, students gathered at the entrances to educational institutions, trying to prevent classes from being held; in some cases the police intervened — in the capital, law enforcement used tear gas near several high schools. The strike also affected transport: railway unions warned of train disruptions on several routes. Authorities had predicted that hundreds of thousands of people would take part in the demonstrations.
Background of the actions
The preparation of the blockades became known in advance: as Life.ru reported, French students announced blockades of high schools and universities ahead of the general strike on November 5. The first actions began on November 2, when protesters attempted to block access to 41 high schools, and youth organizations demanded an increase in the number of teachers, the repair of school buildings, and improved learning conditions. Thus, the number of blocked high schools on November 5 rose from 41 to 81 according to official figures, although according to the USL's estimate the scale was significantly larger.
