World

Student Group Announces Return of High‑School Blockades on Monday

By AFP

Pierre Sourzat, head of the "Lyceens!" student group, said that a campaign of high‑school blockades will resume on Monday, November 2, 2026, after the government’s proposals were deemed insufficient. On Saturday, October 30, 2026, hundreds of thousands of students and university attendees marched across France for a third consecutive weekend of protests. Sourzat told broadcaster RMC on Sunday, November 1, that some schools would be blocked as early as Monday, with a larger wave expected from Tuesday, November 3. He added, "We support all our comrades who are blocking their schools from tomorrow." The protest movement began after weeks of demonstrations by high‑school students over deteriorating learning conditions and inequality. On Monday, October 26, the government announced measures including a replacement of the university admissions platform and loans for school renovations. Students said the proposals did not go far enough. On Saturday, October 31, Sabrine Kharbach, spokeswoman for the Union Etudiante, said blockades of universities and high schools would occur on Tuesday, November 3, and Thursday, November 5. President Emmanuel Macron urged a calm return to classes, claiming that young people had been heard. Sourzat countered that the President had not listened, calling the response "smoke and mirrors." He criticized the proposed overhaul of the admissions platform for not addressing the shortage of higher‑education places and dismissed the plan to reduce class sizes as insufficient, noting it would only apply to 10th‑grade classes. With France’s economy facing recessionary pressures and debt‑reduction demands, the government has limited room to increase spending to appease protesters. Published – November 01, 2026 06:19 pm IST