In a move that has sparked controversy over communication strategy, the French government has unveiled a series of five major reforms aimed at addressing the ongoing crisis in lycées (high schools). The measures, intended to calm weeks of student mobilization, were announced not by official government channels or student unions, but by two prominent social media influencers.
The unconventional announcement came ahead of a scheduled press conference by Ministers Édouard Geffray and Philippe Baptiste on Monday, October 26. Instead, content creators Anna Baldy (@grandebavardeuse) and Mathilde Fouqué (@mathildestudy) revealed the measures to their online communities after being invited to meet with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu earlier that day.
A Controversial Communication Strategy
The decision to communicate the reforms through influencers has drawn sharp criticism from traditional student organizations, who feel sidelined in the process. The two influencers themselves acknowledged the political nature of the meeting.
“There is a desire to instrumentalize us; we are also here to be critical… It’s obviously a PR stunt, but now they are listening to us,” Mathilde Fouqué told BFMTV after the meeting. Anna Baldy, posting on Instagram, concluded that “the mobilization has no reason to stop.”
Student unions expressed frustration that the measures were revealed before they had a chance to discuss them with the government. “I have nothing personal against these influencers, who do a very good job, but… we have the impression of contempt for lycée organizations,” said Louis Letoublon, vice-president of the Lycéens! union, on BFMTV. “The measures are already announced and we haven’t been able to speak to them yet.”
The Five Key Measures Announced
The reforms address several core grievances raised by students during the recent protests. Here is a breakdown of the announced measures:
- A Two-Phase Replacement for Parcoursup: The government plans to replace the controversial university admissions platform, which students find overly stressful, in two stages. This year, changes will focus on clarifying local algorithms and selection criteria for current terminale students. A full overhaul will be launched for the following academic year.
- €5 Billion Renovation Plan: A major investment plan for the renovation of high schools and universities has been agreed upon, totaling €5 billion.
- Smaller Class Sizes: Starting next school year, class sizes will be capped at 28 students in 50% of the most disadvantaged high schools.
- 15,000 New Higher Education Places: An additional 15,000 places will be created in higher education for the next academic year, with a focus on short-cycle courses (like BTS and DUT) and health fields.
- Inflation-Indexed Student Grants: Student grants will be indexed to inflation. According to a source within the executive branch, this will be accompanied by a revision of the grant scale to support students who have lost bursary eligibility, at a cost of over €100 million.
The government had promised to provide “very concrete answers” to students after weeks of crisis. However, the method of delivery has raised questions about the government’s willingness to engage directly with established student representative bodies, adding a new layer of tension to an already volatile situation.
