French students are preparing to resume protests at schools and universities as they return from a two-week break, insisting that recent government proposals have failed to address their concerns.

Pierre Sourzat, leader of the student group Les Lycéens!, said some secondary schools would face blockades from Monday, November 2, with wider participation expected from Tuesday.

Speaking on French broadcaster RMC on Sunday, Sourzat said students were already preparing to prevent access to some school premises. He also expressed support for those taking part in the planned action.

The renewed protests follow weeks of demonstrations over poor learning conditions, educational inequality and the rising cost of living. Hundreds of thousands of people, including secondary school and university students, joined nationwide demonstrations on Saturday, October 31, marking the third consecutive weekend of protests.

The French government had earlier announced measures intended to respond to students’ complaints. Among the proposals were plans to replace the university admissions platform, which has faced criticism over its transparency, and provide loans for schools requiring renovation.

However, student representatives say the announcements have not addressed the scale of the problems.

Sabrine Kharbach, spokesperson for the Union Etudiante, said the organisation was also backing further demonstrations, with university and secondary school blockades planned for Tuesday and Thursday.

President Emmanuel Macron had urged students to return to classes peacefully, maintaining that their concerns had been heard by the government.

But Sourzat rejected that position, arguing that the authorities had not adequately responded to the issues raised by young people.

He also questioned the proposed changes to the university admissions system, saying they would not resolve the limited availability of places in higher education institutions.

The student leader further criticised the government’s plan to reduce class sizes, pointing out that the proposed measure would initially cover only 10th-grade students, rather than all secondary school levels.

France’s economic difficulties have added pressure to the situation, with the country’s government facing concerns over economic growth and public debt. Those constraints could make it harder to meet the protesters’ demands through increased public spending.

Sources: News Central TV, Channels Television, Channel News Asia and The Local France.