Student Union Rejects €4bn Loan, Orders Continued School Blockades

French high school students will keep barricading their schools and joining street protests, a major student union declared on Monday. This decision came immediately after the government unveiled a new package of education measures intended to resolve the ongoing crisis. The union, Les Lycéens, rejected the offer as insufficient despite the substantial financial commitment from the state.

The central figure in this standoff is the €4 billion loan the government announced for regional authorities. Education Minister Édouard Geffray stated that some schools were in such poor condition they were "not fit" for teaching. The funds are earmarked to address collapsing ceilings, mold, broken toilets, and windows that do not shut. Geffray also promised to create more teaching posts to alleviate staff shortages.

Beyond construction, the government agreed to cap class sizes at 28 for 15-year-olds in the first year of high school. This limit will apply initially to the 50% of schools in the lowest-income areas before expanding to all high schools next year. Officials also committed to reviewing the French baccalaureate system and overhauling the Parcoursup university application platform, which critics call opaque. A new system is scheduled to replace Parcoursup in 2028.

Pierre Sourzat of Les Lycéens dismissed the plan as a negotiation tactic rather than a final solution. He told France Info television that the group is in a power struggle and needs to maintain pressure to meet their maximum demands. "We want measures, not half measures," Sourzat said. Louis Letoublon, who met with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, noted that while the government now listens, not all demands were met. The union vows to continue protesting for as long as necessary.

The student movement has grown into the largest youth protest in years, now joined by trade unions and cost-of-living demonstrators. These groups hold mass street demonstrations every Saturday. The protests have turned violent, with several children maimed by police explosive weapons and hundreds arrested. Authorities admitted to security failures leading up to the worst day of violence in years on 17 October, which featured looting and vandalism.

President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged the turmoil during a visit to Marseille on Monday. He described the current state of affairs as "not normal" with six months remaining before the presidential election. Macron said the next demonstration on 31 October would be a "day of risk" but insisted the government would hold the line. Marine Le Pen currently leads the polls for the upcoming election, adding political pressure on the ruling party.