France: back to school, between precariousness and malaise

A student working from her home in the Paris region.

(illustration photo) AP - Christophe Ena

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

Three weeks before the start of the school year, students are looking for accommodation or good deals to compensate for inflation.

They have already had more enthusiastic summer ends.

A survey by the Mutuelle des Étudiants recently estimated that 70% of French students describe themselves in a state of ill-being and this Monday, another from the Unef union points to their growing precariousness.

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Rising rents, more expensive university catering and insufficient revaluation of scholarships: the cost of living is rising sharply for students due in particular to the rise in inflation, according to a survey by the student union Unef published on Monday.

For the year 2022-2023, the cost of student living increases by 6.47%, while inflation amounts to 6.1%, indicates the Unef.

This increase represents a necessary additional budget of 428.22 euros for the year, or 35.7 euros more per month.

The cost of “almost all expenditure items” is increasing, with the exception of transport, according to the union (ranked on the left), which denounces the insufficiency of “Macron governments’ public policies towards students. .well below expectations”.

In particular, the government plans to increase student grants by 4% at the start of the school year.

But this increase remains insufficient, according to the union, because it is lower than inflation.

📣 Like every year, the UNEF releases its survey on the cost of student life!

Here are some figures on the precarious situation of students!

⬇️⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/KE8aomhqj5

— UNEF (@UNEF) August 15, 2022

For Unef, the survey reveals the “extreme precariousness” of students and highlights the need to set up “social protection” for these young people in training and integration.

The union proposes to create an autonomy allowance “of an amount sufficient to live, intended for all students” and calculated on their own income rather than that of their parents.

A student precariousness that has effects on morale

However, the mental health of French students has suffered particularly for two and a half years.

and its consequences, in particular confinements and restrictions, have had a significant impact according to a survey, published in July, by the CSA institute for the

student mutual insurance company .

A clear observation: 70% of French students are

, a figure up five points compared to the last study carried out in 2019. 

Julien, met at the Cité universitaire de Paris, where many students have stayed to work, comes back to this question.

He saw his entry into a big school as a culmination.

But in this context of health crisis, he was overtaken by several concerns.

“ 

 , ”he confides to

.

Cité Universitaire de Paris, words of students

► To read also: Covid-19: the suffering of students

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