Sri Lanka’s Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF) has condemned the alleged suppression of student and public protests in France, calling for the immediate release of detained students and urgent measures to address concerns over the country’s public education system.
The IUSF handed over a letter to the French Embassy in Sri Lanka on Wednesday (21), expressing solidarity with French students protesting against what it described as deteriorating public education, systemic neglect and state repression.
In the letter dated October 19, the Federation claimed that France was facing a deepening education crisis, with more than 400 schools affected by closures or disruptions, chronic teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, deteriorating school infrastructure and inadequate public investment in education.
The IUSF stated that nationwide protests involving hundreds of thousands of people reflected growing dissatisfaction over education, inequality and the rising cost of living.
The Federation alleged that French authorities had responded to the protests with excessive force, including the deployment of riot police, tear gas and batons against protesting students.
It further claimed that nearly 3,000 students, most of them minors, had reportedly been detained since the protests began.
The IUSF also raised concerns over alleged threats to hold parents financially responsible for protest-related damage, warning that such measures could intimidate families and discourage students from exercising their democratic rights.
In its letter, the IUSF presented five key demands to the French authorities, including the immediate release of all detained minors and the withdrawal of legal and civil proceedings against students solely for peacefully participating in protests.
The Federation also called for an end to the deployment of riot police and the use of excessive force against students at educational institutions, while urging authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly and protest.
It further demanded the immediate recruitment of sufficient teachers to fill vacant positions and the allocation of adequate and sustained public funding for education.
The IUSF also called for urgent repairs to neglected school buildings and the introduction of climate-resilient measures to ensure safe classrooms during extreme heat and other hazardous conditions.
Additionally, the Federation urged French authorities to engage in meaningful negotiations with student organisations and teachers’ unions, address their concerns and refrain from dismissing the protests as the result of outside agitation.
The IUSF described the situation in France as part of a wider global crisis affecting public education, drawing parallels with challenges faced by students in South Asian countries, including Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.
Referring to Sri Lanka, the Federation raised concerns over proposed school restructuring and education reforms, particularly their potential impact on school closures, unequal access to education and disadvantaged communities.
It also highlighted teacher shortages, inadequate funding, overcrowded classrooms, deteriorating school infrastructure, unequal university admission opportunities, unemployment and the rising cost of living as continuing challenges affecting students and the public.
The Federation called on student unions, youth organisations, teachers’ unions and other movements across South Asia and the world to strengthen international solidarity and defend education as a fundamental human right.
The letter was signed by IUSF Convenor Madushan Chandrajith, who reiterated the Federation’s commitment to supporting student movements internationally and defending the right to free, equal and quality education. (Newswire)
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