By Sofiat Adenekan-Abdul
Students in France have blocked the entrances to dozens of high schools as protests over learning conditions and the rising cost of living continue to spread across the country.
The French Education Ministry said fourty-Nine of the country’s three thousand seven hundred high schools were blockaded on Tuesday morning, while several thousand students were expected to join a demonstration in Paris later in the day.
The protests, which began in September over school conditions, have expanded into wider cost-of-living demonstrations in recent weeks. Some of the rallies have been marked by fringe violence and allegations of police brutality.
Student and teacher unions have called for increased mobilisation, urging protesters to maintain pressure on the government.
In a joint statement on Monday, the unions said it was time to intensify the campaign, while student association leader Ryad Rani called for continued action.
“We’re not just fighting for ourselves. We’re fighting for teachers, for their working conditions,” Rani said.
The government has announced measures including the gradual replacement of an online platform used for higher education admissions and additional funding for some of the most disadvantaged schools.
However, students and unions say the measures fall short of their demands.
Union leaders have also criticised the government’s proposed 0.6 per cent increase in the minimum wage, describing it as inadequate.
The unions have scheduled another nationwide day of strikes and protests for November 17.
