French pupils still blockading 180 schools

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Wednesday April 13, 2005 10:07 by Eoin Dubsky

Youth protests against education reforms growing

French secondary school pupils continue to protest against education reforms voted by the national assembly a week ago. At the last count today they still held 180 schools across the country.

The secondary school pupils' movement (le mouvement lycéen) began taking radical autonomous actions last month in schools and other government buildings around the country.

The "Fillon law" (after neo-liberal Education Minister François Fillon) which has school pupils, teachers and parents alike so enraged introduces regressive reforms which are intended to save money.

Among them are: (1) reducing the number of course hours, (2) reducing the number of options - TPE, (3) placing pupils "in difficulty" at 2nd Year level into apprenticeships, (4) transforming the "bac" (Leaving Cert) so it's value will depend on the school where you did it, (5) lowering the teaching standards by recruiting teachers without a standardised examination system.

The pupils have continued their struggle despite the passing of the law and broadened their demands: for the complete withdrawal of the reforms, the improvement of conditions in the lycées, and a stop to the axing of teaching posts and supervisors.

Now that the Pope has (finally) left the headlines, this story is gaining prominence again across France.