French students plan new school blockades as protests over prices continue
- Student leader Pierre Sourzat says some high schools will be blocked from Monday as pupils return from a two-week break.
- Hundreds of thousands marched across France on Saturday in a third straight weekend of protests over prices and learning conditions.
- The government's proposed reforms have been rejected by student groups as too small.
High school students in France plan to block some schools from Monday, when pupils return from a two-week holiday, according to the head of a student group.
Pierre Sourzat, who leads the group Lyceens!, told broadcaster RMC on Sunday that the action would grow from Tuesday, though some schools would be shut as early as Monday. He said his group backs every student taking part.
The blockades follow a third consecutive weekend of demonstrations across France. On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people, including high school and university students, marched over rising prices and what they call worsening conditions in schools.
Why students are angry
The wider protest movement against the cost of living began with weeks of school walkouts. Students say classrooms are overcrowded, funding is short and the gap between rich and poor pupils is widening.
Last Monday, the government announced measures it said would answer some of those concerns, including replacing the university admissions platform and providing loans to renovate schools.
Student leaders say the package falls short. Sourzat argued the new admissions system does not fix the shortage of university places. He also dismissed the plan to cut class sizes because it covers only one year group, 10th grade, while students wanted it for all years.
Sabrine Kharbach, spokeswoman for the Union Etudiante (Student Union), said on Saturday that universities and high schools would be blockaded on Tuesday and Thursday.
President Emmanuel Macron has urged classes to resume calmly, saying young people have been heard. Sourzat rejected that, saying the president has not listened and that the reforms are surface-level only.
What happens next
The government has little room to spend more. France is the eurozone's second-largest economy, edging towards recession and under pressure to cut its debt, which limits what it can offer protesters.
For now, the standoff looks set to continue into the school week, with blockades expected to spread from Tuesday.
