The school revolt (By Daouda MANÉ) November 13, 2026
France, Italy, Spain, Albania, Serbia, India. These countries have had in common, for some time, the revolt of the youth, commonly called Gen Z. This is demonstrating for “the right to learn in dignified conditions and against the high cost of living, for democracy and against inequalities”. (Cf. Courrier international N°1879 from November 5 to 11, 2026).
But what catches our attention in this wave of youthful protests is above all the anger of French high school and university students demanding a better school, without quotas (for foreign students), continues the French weekly. In other words, the right to quality and inclusive education, as recommended by UNESCO. “Every human being has the right to quality education and lifelong learning opportunities,” maintains the UN body. However, the situation in the world is increasingly worrying, not to say that “studying would be a problem”, as stated by Guillaume Allègre, Economist in the OFCE studies department, Sciences Po (Cf. The Conversation, October 8, 2025). In several countries, political decisions are undermining the fundamental right to education. In France, universities are “closed” to foreigners by a very simple trick: a significant increase in registration fees for students from countries outside the European Union.
They must now pay duties approximately 16 times higher than those of their European comrades. Moreover, in September 2025, the Lecornu government set the tone. In his budget bill, he announced the abolition, in 2026, of Public Housing Assistance (Apl) for non-European foreign students. A measure which should affect students mainly from Maghreb countries and sub-Saharan Africa, the main providers of foreign students. By this measure, Marianne’s country refuses these young Africans to continue their studies, particularly in specialized fields and therefore to think big. However, these foreign students participate “in the scientific, economic and intellectual vitality of their host country”, to quote the words of the Senegalese academician, Dr Pape Abdoulaye Seck, in one of his columns.
In Uncle Sam’s country, in addition to the suspension of additional federal funds, the attacks concern academic freedoms and even the usefulness of higher education in particular.
We remember the standoff in October 2025, between universities and the Trump administration which accuses them of propagating “woke” ideology. Nine leading higher education institutions, public and private, were given an ultimatum (October 20) to accept the government’s “Pact for Academic Excellence” in exchange for additional federal funds, the Wall Street Journal revealed. In the end, only one university accepted him. In the government’s proposal, we note the limitation to 15% of the number of foreign students and the elimination of departments which could “punish, denigrate and even trigger violence against conservative ideas” while prohibiting employees from “actions or comments linked to societal and political events” (Cf. Franceinfo of 10/21/2025 and lefigaro.fr of October 15, 2025)
However, a university draws its reality from universalism and not from ostracism. This means that it is inherently democratic and therefore open to all.
Furthermore, UNESCO always reminds us: education is an emancipatory right in itself and it is one of the most powerful tools to enable economically and socially marginalized children and adults to escape poverty and participate fully in society. Therefore, if we wish to unleash the full transformative power of education and meet international markers of progress such as those of the Sustainable Development Agenda, every person must have access to it. (Cf. https://www.unesco.org: The right to education)
