One of the main drivers of the student protests in France is the opposition to Parcoursup, the country’s university-admissions platform, which is widely denounced as opaque and unfair. While such automated decision-making systems do not create educational inequalities, they can exacerbate them.
PARIS—Hundreds of thousands of young people have taken to the streets in France to protest against the state of the country’s education system. The violence that erupted on October 17 should not eclipse their concerns, which are entirely legitimate: the deplorable conditions at many French schools, including dilapidated buildings, a lack of teachers, overcrowded classrooms, and long school days. They are also deeply opposed to Parcoursup, the country’s university-admissions platform, which has become the lightning rod for their grievances. They have denounced it as opaque, stressful, and unfair.