French student leaders said the government had offered a package of education proposals yesterday in response to weeks of street protests, but vowed to keep demonstrating as the measures had fallen short of their demands.
Emerging from a meeting with government officials, the students said the proposals included capping the size of some classes, loans for renovating schools and the replacement of a university admissions system they saw as unfair.
“Not all our demands were met. We’ll go on for as long as it takes,” Louis Letoublon, one of the representatives of high school students, said.
There was no immediate confirmation of the education proposals from the government. A Press conference to announce the details was delayed.
There were no immediate details on how much funding any such education package would require. The hands of President Emmanuel Macron’s minority government are tied by national debt approaching 120 per cent of GDP and high new borrowing needs already making it difficult to agree a budget for next year.
The protests, initially triggered by student discontent, have shown little sign of easing after violence nine days ago engulfed dozens of cities, leading to fears the state had lost control of the streets.
The movement has since expanded, drawing in trade unions and Yellow Vest activists, known for their high-visibility jackets and mass demonstrations against economic pressures including high fuel costs.
Earlier, Macron acknowledged it was likely there would be more unrest this weekend ahead of a bigger nationwide day of protests set for November 5.
On a tour to survey the damage in Marseille, he said he would keep security measures in place and work to move protests outside city centres.
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