France has been swept by large-scale protests by high school students, which began over a shortage of teachers, overcrowded classrooms and poor learning conditions in the disadvantaged suburbs of Paris. Within a few days, the movement spread across the country, escalating into school blockades and clashes with police, while the number of detainees exceeded 5,000, Reuters reports, as cited by UNN.
Details
One of the centers of the protest was the Seine-Saint-Denis department north of Paris—one of the poorest areas in France. Students at local high schools say they have been studying for years in worse conditions than their peers in wealthier areas.
Seventeen-year-old Maysa from Le Corbusier High School in Aubervilliers said that last year she took a French exam even though there was no French teacher at the school.
These are not the conditions in which one can study
From school problems to nationwide protests
The students are demanding that more teachers be hired, overcrowded classrooms be reduced, neglected schools be renovated and equal opportunities be ensured for children regardless of where they live.
At one of the protests, 15-year-old Amelia held a sign reading: "Our address should not determine our future." The protesters believe that schools in disadvantaged suburbs have been receiving insufficient resources for years.
The protests, which began in the Paris suburbs, quickly spread to Paris, Marseille, Strasbourg, Tours, Lille and other cities. Students began blocking the entrances to educational institutions, while teachers and other supporters of the protesters joined the movement.
The situation was further aggravated by France's draft budget for 2027. The government announced an unpopular cut in public spending. Education funding is planned to increase by 1.7% to €65.53 billion, excluding teachers' pensions, but this increase is below the rate of inflation.
The government explains this trend by pointing to the declining population and says that education remains a priority. The protesters, meanwhile, fear that staffing and funding problems will only deepen.
The protests escalated into clashes
Over the past week, the situation has sharply deteriorated. Clashes, arson and riots began near schools. Police used tear gas and, in some cases, rubber bullets.
Since the beginning of the current wave of protests, law enforcement officers have detained more than 5,000 people, mostly teenagers. Protesters, school employees and law enforcement officers have been injured.
France's Interior Minister Laurent Nunez called the situation "an atmosphere of unacceptable violence." On October 3, the head of the Paris police said that the protest movement had effectively spiraled out of control and called for a return to peaceful demonstrations.
What began as a local protest by school students from disadvantaged Paris suburbs over a shortage of teachers and poor learning conditions has thus turned into one of the largest waves of youth protests in France in recent times.
More than 500 schools closed in France due to student protests - The Independent02.10.26, 21:00