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How many of these lycée protest placards can you translate?
Pancarte slogans often feature rhymes, puns and play-on-words
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High school (lycée) pupil protests are continuing across France over poor classroom conditions, insufficient funding, overworked teachers, and a lack of supply staff.
The protests started in the Parisian suburbs two weeks ago and have quickly become a nationwide movement, culminating in up to 500 schools being blockaded with tables, chairs and bins or set alight (October 7 data), and clashes between police and pupils - aged 15-18.
There have been over 6,000 arrests and hundreds of injuries. University students, teachers, politicians, and union security have joined the protests to support and help protect pupils.
Images and videos show pupils demonstrating in front of their schools, holding handmade cardboard signs (pancartes in French), featuring short messages, often with rhymes, puns and play-on-words.
How many of these school protest pancartes can you translate?
On a un avenir à construire, pas à subir
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Answer: "We have a future to build, not to put up with." The emphasis here focuses on the shift between the active verb construire and the passive verb subir, which suggests being subjected to or forced to undergo something. The pupils are saying they want to be involved in the shaping of their future.
Être jeune ne veut pas dire être infatigable
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Answer: "Being young does not mean being inexhaustible." This message is likely referring to France’s long school days (sometimes from 8:00-18:00) and workloads that are often criticised for being too demanding.
Emplois du temps ou parcours du combattant?
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Answer: "Timetable or assault course?" Again, this sign suggests pupils and teachers feel they are being overworked. 'Parcours du combattant' is often used as a figurative way of referring to an especially challenging or impossible task.
Vie s’colère
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Answer: In this instance, the word scolaire (school) is switched out for the rhyming colère (anger) - a simple message to show pupils' frustration with the education system. The term 'la vie scolaire' is often used to refer to student affairs or general student wellbeing.
Vous pouvez nous enlever nos téléphones mais pas notre parole
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Answer: "You can take away our telephones but not our freedom of speech." It refers to the recent law introducing restrictions on use of mobile phones in schools.
École sans argent, pays sans avenir
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Answer: "School without money, country without a future." This sign highlights the importance of investing in young people and education for the good of future generations.
Parcoursup nous trie, l’État nous détruit
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Answer: "Parcoursup classes us, the State destroys us." Parcoursup is the national platform for pre-enrolment into the first year of higher education in France. It effectively decides who is eligible to go to any given education establishment, and has been criticised for being too algorithmic and lacking transparency.
Travaille et tais-toi - se faire entendre aujourd’hui pour mieux travailler demain
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Answer: "Get to work and shut up - make your voice heard today to work better tomorrow." Again, this message expresses that pupils are protesting for change today, in order to improve long-term living and working conditions. It is a reference to 'Sois belle et tais-toi' (Be Beautiful but Shut Up), a 1958 French movie featuring Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo.
Oeil pour oeil, dent pour dent, main pour main - la police va trop loin
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Answer: "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand - the police have gone too far." While directly referring to the principle or reciprocity, this protester has integrated the line ‘a hand for a hand’ - alluding to an incident in Lens (Pas-de-Calais) on October 5 when a teenager’s hand was blown off. The circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated.
Macron lui au moins il avait une prof de français
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Answer: "At least Macron had a French teacher." In this instance, the sign refers to the argument that students are experiencing disruption to studies caused by teacher absences and a lack of supply staff able to provide coverage. The subtle use of the feminine une prof, also alludes to the fact that President Macron’s wife was a French teacher and taught at a school he attended.
La jeunesse est notre avenir. N’économisons pas!
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Answer: "Young people are our future. Let’s not make savings!" It implies that the government should not be cutting costs when it comes to young people. This sign is a reference to ‘l’énergie est notre avenir, économisons-la’ (energy is our future, let’s save it) - a catchphrase now required by law in any TV ad from a company of the energy sector.
La jeunesse emmerde Édouard Geffray
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Answer: "Young people pis**s Édouard Geffray off." This is directed at Édouard Geffray, the French minister of Education, and borrows from 'La jeunesse emmerde le Front National' (Young people pis**s the National Front off’), an anti-fascist song from French punk band Bérurier Noir aimed at the Front national, the former name of current far-right party Rassemblement national.
Have you seen any other clever pancarte messages? Send them to us at: feedback@connexionfrance.com
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