FRANCE ALLOCATES SCHOOL RENOVATION FUNDS- Including a commitment to cap the size of high school classes and a 4bln euros loan
The French government has announced new measures aimed at quelling student-led protests, as student leaders said they planned to continue mobilisations.
The measures included a commitment to cap the size of some high school classes; 4 billion euros of loans for renovating schools and the replacement by 2028 of a university admissions system they see as socially unfair.
Speaking at a press conference, Education Minister Edouard Geffray also announced capping some high school class sizes to 28 students per class, as well as cancelling slated job cuts in the secondary education sector.
The package also included 1 billion euros of investment in university campuses, a move to increase student grants with inflation and the opening up of a further 15,000 higher education places for students.
There was no overall figure for how much funding the package would require. The hands of President Emmanuel Macron’s minority government are tied by national debt approaching 120% of GDP and high new borrowing needs already making it difficult to agree a budget for next year.
