Students Intensify Protests Over Education Crisis in France

Paris: Gen Alpha students in France are intensifying their protests against the deterioration of the country's education sector. The government is attempting to suppress the movement using the police, while students continue their agitation by blockading schools in various parts of the country. As the protests intensified, Education Minister Edouard Geffray announced that 500 schools across the country would be closed.

Students took to the streets citing a shortage of teachers, inadequate facilities in classrooms, rising student numbers and deteriorating school buildings. The protests, which began in Paris last week, quickly spread to other cities including Montpellier, Nantes and Marseille. As many as 735 schools were reportedly disrupted by protests on Friday alone.

The authorities have been accused of using excessive force to suppress the agitation. Police have allegedly arrested innocent people and assaulted students on the streets. On Friday alone, 1,747 people were arrested by police. More than 5,000 people have been arrested since the protests began, with 85 per cent of those arrested reportedly being minors.

The French government has sought to portray the students' protests over inadequate educational infrastructure as a conspiracy by far-left groups. The government has alleged that far-left activists infiltrated the protests and were behind the violence. Since the protests began, 24 schools have reportedly been attacked and 78 people injured.

The French government had announced €54 billion in spending cuts. Plans to reduce the number of teachers and firefighters following the announcement triggered widespread anger among students and subsequently led to protests.

At present, classrooms have between 32 and 35 students, while there is also a shortage of teachers. Schools lack cafeterias, and air-conditioning systems do not function properly during summer while heating systems fail to work adequately during winter. Students have also raised complaints about the poor condition of school buildings and inadequate facilities in toilets.

Students' anger grew as they alleged that the government ignored these issues. The protests by Gen Alpha students subsequently spread across France.