French students protest nationwide over dilapidated schools and teacher shortages

October 3, 2026 at 12:06 PM2 min

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Tens of thousands of French students and supporters protested this week over dilapidated schools, overcrowding, and teacher shortages. Demonstrations spread to more than 1,200 high schools, with police arresting over 5,000 people. The protests began in Paris suburbs and became a political flashpoint as the government announced unpopular spending cuts.

Key Facts

Protests spread to more than 1,200 French high schools this week.
Police arrested over 5,000 people during the demonstrations.
The education budget is set to increase by 1.7% to €65.53 billion, below inflation.
In Seine-Saint-Denis, two-thirds of high schools took part in protests on Thursday.
Classes including maths, humanities, English and sport have been cancelled at Lycee Le Corbusier since the start of the academic year due to teacher shortages.

Student Protests

Maisa, a 17-year-old student at Lycee Le Corbusier in Aubervilliers, joined tens of thousands of protesters this week. Protesters said schools in poor neighbourhoods faced the worst conditions, including teacher shortages and overcrowding. Amelia, 15, held a sign reading, "Our address should not decide our future" and demanded the same rights as students elsewhere. Police responded with tear gas and rubber bullets in some cases, and some protesters suffered eye injuries, broken teeth and blows to the head.

Political Fallout

The demonstrations have become a political flashpoint as the government announced unpopular spending cuts in its 2027 budget on Thursday. The education budget is set to increase by a below-inflation 1.7% to €65.53 billion, excluding teacher pensions. Education Minister Edouard Geffray said education remained a priority and the below-inflation increase was due to population decline. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez called the situation a "climate of unacceptable violence" and called for order.

School Conditions

At Lycee Le Corbusier, classes including maths, humanities, English and sport have been cancelled since the start of the academic year due to a teacher shortage. Karima Kara Ali, an elected parent representative, confirmed the cancellations. In Seine-Saint-Denis, two-thirds of high schools took part in protests on Thursday, according to the CGT labour union. Youth, teachers and parents in four towns complained of unsanitary school conditions and chronic staff shortages including of nurses and social workers.