Nearly 200 French high schools were expected to remain closed Wednesday due to ongoing student blockades, as the government promised to improve university admissions.
Education Minister Edouard Geffray told French broadcaster BFMTV that "96% of high schools are open," with no disruptions reported in three-quarters of the country's departments, a day after the fifth round of nationwide protests.
Several schools remained blockaded in Paris, including Voltaire, Helene-Boucher and the Balzac school complex. Balzac's administration suspended in-person classes, citing access difficulties and safety concerns.
Geffray said Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste would submit proposals to improve Parcoursup, France's university admissions platform, to the prime minister by the end of October.
He expressed openness "to adjustments, possibly substantial ones," while questioning what would replace the platform if it were abolished.
According to Geffray, fewer than 20% of the 90,000 contributions submitted to a government platform collecting students' complaints concerned Parcoursup.
He ruled out immediate changes to the baccalaureate, France's school-leaving examination.
"I'm not going to change the baccalaureate six months before a presidential election; we need to stop constantly reforming," he said.
Student representatives are scheduled to meet Geffray and Baptiste Thursday afternoon as they press for 10 billion euros ($11 billion) in investment.
Pierre Sourzat, president of the organization Les Lyceens!, told Franceinfo that students expected concrete measures after receiving "only crumbs."
Although organizers have not called for a sixth round of protests Thursday, the Union of High School Students urged demonstrators to maintain blockades.
Union President Ryad Rani and other student representatives also called for participation in a "yellow vest" demonstration scheduled for Saturday.
Meanwhile, classes resumed at Kleber High School in Strasbourg, where clashes between students and police had occurred in recent weeks.
