French unions have announced a new wave of school protests – Le Figaro

In France, on Tuesday, October 13, labor unions have planned a fifth wave of nationwide protests, dubbed “Act 5,” demanding a significant increase in funding for the education sector. This time, researchers and faculty members from higher education institutions will join the protests alongside teachers and students.

According to the French Ministry of the Interior, the number of participants is gradually declining: after 256,000 demonstrators on October 6, only 71,500 people took part in the rallies on October 8. Education Minister Édouard Geoffroy assured that the protest movement’s impact on the operation of educational institutions is diminishing, and the protests themselves are expected to die down with the start of fall break.

Source: Le Figaro.

In France, authorities are urgently deploying approximately 3,000 substitute teachers to schools with the greatest need for educators. This move comes after more than two weeks of nationwide student protests, which in some cases were accompanied by violence.

French high school students intend to continue their protests to demand better learning conditions and have called for a new wave of demonstrations on Tuesday. At the same time, French authorities have reported a “noticeable decline” in the movement, which has been ongoing since late September.