A student revises in front of his computer (illustration) -

Alain JOCARD / AFP

Dropping out of school, isolation, depression, precariousness… Since the start of the pandemic, students have considered themselves to be “forgotten” by the health crisis.

The announcements made by Prime Minister Jean Castex on Thursday were not enough to calm the distress and anger of the students, who feel abandoned.

On social networks, thousands of messages from students denouncing isolation and educational content poorly suited to distance have multiplied in recent days.

The hashtag # EtudiantsFantômes, created on Twitter by students who feel forgotten and on the verge of dropping out of school, was also ranked in the top tweet on Wednesday, and has continued to grow since then.

"I dropped out of college since November"

It was political science students from Montpellier who decided to create this hashtag, and to launch a collective movement on social networks to denounce student distress.

"The government infantilizes us, as if we were no more responsible than college or high school students, as if we were not sufficiently able to give our opinion", explains Yasmine, one of the instigators of the hashtag, who has also created the Instagram page “Ghost Students”.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Etudiants fantomes (@etudiantsfantomes)

More than 70,000 tweets - messages of testimony and a call for help - were published on Twitter with the hashtag # EtudiantsFantômes.

“I dropped out of college since November, because I can't keep up with the same face-to-face rhythm but alone at home, with partial access to the BUs.

The slightest attempt at university work causes me panic attacks.

I am one of the #EtudiantsFantomes ”, explains Marlène, a student.

“I'm going to start a second semester with an administration that does not answer the email or the phone.

Without knowing exactly how the lessons will go, then the exams.

Seeing my classmates fall one by one, ”another student also wrote on Twitter.

I dropped out of college since November, because I can't keep up with the same face-to-face rhythm but alone at home, with partial access to the BUs.

The slightest attempt at university work causes me panic attacks.

I am one of the #etudiantfantomes.

- Marlène Ducasse (@marleneducasse) January 13, 2021

"The Minister of Higher Education infantilizes us by talking about candy on RTL which further fuels the annoyance of students on social networks", also explains Quentin, a student who contacted

20 Minutes

to share the disarray in which today there are many students in France.

"Suicidal thoughts"

“We are one in five students to have had thoughts of suicide recently, 30% to have depressive and anxious states.

This is too much and no one really takes these figures and this reality into consideration, which is dangerous, ”protested from his side Mona.

According to a survey conducted on mental health at the University of Paris 3, “82.7% believe that their mental health has deteriorated this year, 74.7% of them think that the teaching conditions are there for something, ”also explains Scargo, an Info-Com student who posted edifying testimonies of suffering students on social networks.

Result of a survey on mental health in Paris 3 among others 82.7% of respondents believe that their mental health has deteriorated this year, 74.7% of them think that the teaching conditions are there for something, the testimonials are uplifting!

#etudiantsfantomes pic.twitter.com/VMsYjDobr5

- Scargo (@ Scargo22) January 13, 2021

Society

Coronavirus: "A single measure for 2.7 million students is insufficient", judge Paul Mayaux, president of Fage

Society

Coronavirus: Why are young people living in student residences more vulnerable to the health crisis?

  • By the Web

  • Higher Education

  • Youth

  • Twitter

  • Student

  • Coronavirus

  • Social networks

  • Testimony

  • University