Faced with the scale reached by the student protest movement, the French government stepped up conciliatory gestures this week toward the high schoolers who have been mobilized since mid September. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said the voice of high school students is precious and must be heard, promising a concrete action plan in response to the movement's demands.
The prime minister announced the launch of five distinct work streams, covering the replacement of absent teachers, the condition of school buildings, student life, an overhaul of the Parcoursup university admissions platform, and student participation in decisions that affect them, with the aim of delivering the first concrete announcements by the end of October. An online consultation platform has also been set up, and a half day of class time is to be set aside in schools for internal democratic dialogue, meant to give students and staff a chance to voice their difficulties.
The announcements follow a particularly serious incident in Lens, where a 15 year old lost a hand after picking up a stun grenade used by police. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez immediately announced the suspension of this type of grenade in policing the student protests.