The French government continues its efforts to find a solution to the ongoing student crisis and protests that have been happening since mid-September, as Education Minister Edouard Philippe meets with a delegation from student organizations for the third time on Thursday. They are expected to discuss issues related to educational buildings, university guidance, and the schedule. Meanwhile, several high schools remain closed in various regions of the country.
On Thursday, Education Minister Edouard Philippe will hold his third meeting with representative organizations for high school students. This time, students are expected to discuss with the minister the problems of deteriorating school buildings, educational curricula, and schedules.
Pierre Sourzat, a representative of a student organization, says, "We are expecting practical solutions regarding school buildings, university guidance, and schedules," stressing that the authorities have only offered "crumbs" so far.
The government confirms that it is ready to work on supporting high school students with regard to university guidance, with modifications to the "Parcoursup" platform. However, it insists on not abolishing the current university guidance system.
This new meeting comes as high school protests continue on Thursday, with several educational institutions closed across the country. On Wednesday, there were closures of 160 educational institutions, according to official figures from the authorities.
"Legitimate demands"
President Emmanuel Macron considered on Wednesday that the demands of the students participating in the ongoing protests for three weeks are "legitimate," while noting that some political forces are trying to "exploit" their movement.
High school students are protesting against the poor condition of school buildings, overcrowding in classrooms, and the absence of teachers without providing substitutes, especially in underprivileged neighborhoods.
Broader popular movements are expected across the country on Saturday in protest against rising living costs.
In recent days, a 15-year-old boy lost his hand due to a bomb explosion during student protests in Lens in the north of the country on Monday. His family has announced the initiation of legal proceedings demanding an "honest" investigation.
On September 30, a 16-year-old high school student lost sight in one eye in Tours in the west of the country during an attempt to close the entrance to a school. His family holds the police responsible for his injury, while the prosecutor in Tours announced on Tuesday that excessive force charges have been filed against the police officer involved in the incident. The police have initiated internal investigations into 36 complaints related to violence.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated that around 900 police officers were injured during the protests.