The spearheading by French students of a protest which has brought 500,000 on to the streets of Paris and other French cities this weekend should be a wake up call for all of us.
The escalating violence, looting and firebombing has turned an initially peaceful demonstration in to an event more defined now by thuggery and thievery than any semblance of a principled stance.
The protests which began with students protesting over dilapidated school buildings, teacher shortages and overcrowded classrooms will resonate for many in Irish education.
A recent study by the CPSMA highlighted that 71% of primary schools were running deficits in excess of 8,000 euros last year and that schools were increasingly dependent on parental fundraising to supplement basic running costs.
The INTO teachers’ union have long pointed out that we have the most overcrowded classrooms in the EU.
In terms of staffing concerns 55% of primary and special schools in Dublin are experiencing staff shortages. A recent Teachers Union of Ireland survey highlighted that1 in 5 schools are dropping subject choices for students due to staffing issues.
The soaring cost of living in Dublin and elsewhere is widely viewed as an escalating problem not just for young teachers but nurses, gardaí and other young professionals.
The French protests reflect a similar problem bringing disparate groups including nurses, teachers, firefighters and lawyers on to the streets in protest supported by the powerful CGT Labour union amongst others.
France is the cradle of Republican government in Europe and in Paris the sight of the famed statues representing liberty, equality and fraternity marked with fake tears is a powerful metaphor. Many French citizens clearly view their political class as out of touch with the lives of ordinary people. Significantly most of the protestors are young people who feel they are being denied a future by the ever rising cost of living.
Anxiety was a word which these young protestors frequently use in interviews to express their fears for their future.
France is very much at the heart of the EU with leading post war French politicians Robert Schuman and Jean Monnet hailed as the “fathers” of the EU. The promise of peace and prosperity for citizens which membership of the then EEC offered now seems a distant memory for many people in France and I suspect for many in Ireland also. Ordinary citizens perceive that the political establishments are more concerned with power elites than ordinary citizens.
The staggering level of public debt in France, now standing at €3.6 Trillion will be another major problem for the next generation to grapple with. In Ireland our public debt stands at €217 billion and our youth will face similar problems as their fellow EU citizens in France.
The French saying ” plus ca change” – the more it changes, the more it is the same thing – will resonate with many Irish citizens. Could the never-ending crises here trigger French-style protest?