Student absences justified in Orléans

On Monday, October 12, the University of Orléans sent an email to its 20,000 students allowing them to be absent the following day, which was set to be a large mobilization involving students and high schoolers across France. The university stated that while classes would still be held, absences would be considered justified, aiming to reassure students.

Previous similar messages

This announcement, reported by Le Figaro Étudiant, may not have surprised Orléans students, as the university had sent similar messages in previous weeks. An email dated October 8, shared on X by the right-wing student union La Cocarde, mentioned that the university had met with students planning to join the high school mobilization on that day to voice their demands.

Attendance waivers across multiple universities

Attendance waivers in Orléans are not unique. At the University of Toulouse 2, an email dated September 28 asked teachers to show understanding for students who might be absent or late for the planned mobilization. Similar messages were sent this year at universities in Angers, Lille, and Rennes 2 in the weeks leading up to mobilizations.

Criticism of the waivers

Clément Liebard, a local representative of La Cocarde, said the attendance waivers at the University of Orléans "do not fit the context" of the institution, which has only experienced one short blockade since the movement began—a two-hour mobilization earlier this week. He argued that the waivers show "a real complacency on the part of the presidency, which seeks to allow students to join the demonstrations."

Impact of the waivers

Rubens Strachan, a national delegate of the student union UNI, said these dispensations have often helped "facilitate the organization of blockades" in other universities. He noted that while the most committed students would not have attended classes anyway, others "who would have certainly hesitated if they had run the risk of being sanctioned, used it to come join the movement as well."

Concerns over neutrality

Louis Le Foyer de Costil, a lawyer specializing in education law, raised concerns about the neutrality expected of university presidents as public service agents. He stated that "a university president is not supposed to take sides in a social movement, and this type of message could be seen as a way of supporting the mobilization."

University response not available

The presidency of the University of Orléans did not respond to requests for comment.