The Pancyprian Coordinating Committee of Students (PSEM) has called on pupils in Cyprus to hold symbolic acts of solidarity during their second break on Thursday, 5 November, in support of pupils in France who are protesting against education cuts.
In a Facebook post, PSEM said pupils in France had been out on the streets every day since 17 September, protesting against cuts totalling 41 million euros to the education budget.
They are also calling for more teachers to be hired and for all lessons lost because of the shortage to be made up, PSEM said. Their other demands include the renovation and modernisation of school buildings and a say in decisions about their schools.
PSEM said it supported what it described as their just demands. It argued that every lost teaching hour leaves gaps, and that making them up should not depend on whether families can afford to pay for extra support. Safe classrooms, properly equipped laboratories and accessible school spaces are basic conditions for learning, it added.
The committee said the demands of pupils in France and Cyprus did not differ much. It said it was campaigning for genuinely public and free education with equal access and opportunities for all, which would encourage critical thinking and allow everyone to develop their abilities.
