French teachers who find themselves at breaking point after years of being asked to do more with less took to the streets of Paris, Lyon, Nice and Bordeaux on Saturday, demanding a salary increase and better conditions for teachers and students, reports FRANCE 24.
From the Yellow Vests to the Blue Vests to the Pink Vests, France is experiencing a kaleidoscope of protest movements, often fuelled by anger over what is seen as longstanding economic injustice.
In December, school teachers, administrators and other members of the national education system united to form the “Stylos Rouges” (Red Pens) movement with the aim of bringing the struggles of France’s teachers into the public eye. Within three weeks the group had amassed close to 44,000 members.
Among their demands are an immediate pay rise that would finally reflect decades of inflation as well as better conditions for both teachers and students, who sometimes struggle to excel in overcrowded classrooms staffed by teachers who are overstretched.