Student blockade in Nice: Carlone campus still blocked, students deprived of classes

As the mobilization movement continues in higher education, access to the Carlone campus of the Côte d’Azur University remains blocked this Monday, November 2. The only blocked university campus in the Alpes-Maritimes, the site has around thirty protesters according to the prefecture. A situation that disadvantages students wishing to attend classes and raises concerns as upcoming evaluations approach.

The blockade of high schools continues sparingly in Nice. This Monday morning, mobilized students blocked the various entrances to the Carlone campus, preventing their classmates from accessing the buildings. A cordon of protesters, holding hands, was notably set up to prevent any entry.

A second entrance, which temporarily allowed access to the university, was also blocked during the morning. Students wishing to attend classes thus found themselves unable to reach their classrooms.

Around thirty protesters were present inside the establishment to maintain the blockade. The Carlone campus is among the most mobilized sites in Nice since the start of the movement. In the Alpes-Maritimes, no other university campus is currently subject to a blockade.

Course delays that worry students as exams approach

Faced with this situation, some students express their frustration. While some understand the demands made by the protesters, the blockade prevents them from continuing their education normally. The consequences are notably beginning to be felt in certain programs, where several weeks of classes have not been able to take place.

In some subjects, students report not having received instruction for more than a month. A situation all the more concerning as evaluations are approaching. The schedule for assessments thus becomes more difficult to manage with missing classes.

The steps taken with teachers have, according to several students, not led to finding a solution. Despite requests sent by email, canceled classes have not been made up at this stage. The educational delay is thus added to the difficulties related to holding evaluations.

Beyond the academic consequences, some students believe that mobilization should not prevent those who wish to do so from attending classes. Without necessarily questioning the demands of the movement, these students are asking to be able to access the buildings and continue their university year under normal conditions.

The government had announced several measures for education

The mobilization also comes after several government announcements made last week. The Minister of Higher Education, Philippe Baptiste, had notably announced a major evolution of Parcoursup in 2027, before a replacement of the platform in 2028.

For his part, the Minister of National Education, Édouard Geffray, had confirmed the cancellation of 836 planned job cuts in the public secondary sector and the creation of 500 additional positions in high schools. The government also announced one billion euros for the renovation of universities, the creation of 15,000 places in higher education and the indexation of grants based on social criteria to inflation starting in 2027.

Édouard Geffray mentions residual high school blockades at the national level

At the national level, the Minister of National Education, Édouard Geffray, estimated on this Monday, November 2, on France Inter that high school blockades remained limited. “It is, a priori, quite residual, a few in the Île-de-France region, a few in the North, one or two in Toulouse, we’re looking at things that are for now very residual,” he said.

The minister also called for preserving the possibility for students to attend classes. “You cannot prevent your classmates from going to class,” he insisted. Édouard Geffray notably recalled that some high school students preparing the baccalaureate had not benefited from classes for four or five weeks, posing a risk to their school year.