Cyprus pupils to stage school protests in support of French students

Cypriot secondary school students will hold symbolic actions in schools on Thursday in solidarity with pupils in France, students’ union Psem announced on Monday. The actions are due to take place during the second break on November 5, with Psem calling on classmates across the island to take part as a “show of support for French students and their struggle”. According to the union, French students have been protesting daily since September 17 against cuts totalling €41 million to the education budget. They are demanding the hiring of teachers and the replacement of lessons missed due to staff absences. Psem said lost teaching hours should not depend on whether families can afford extra tuition. The French students are also calling for the renovation and modernisation of school buildings, with safe classrooms, properly equipped laboratories and accessible spaces. Psem said it welcomed the French students’ “ongoing struggles” and backed their “just demands”. “We stand by them in the fight for public, free education,” it concluded.