France’s student protests spread as anger over education system grows

PARIS: Student demonstrations are spreading across France as young people take to the streets to protest conditions in the country’s public education system, with teachers and unions also joining the mobilisation.

The protests, which began in the Paris region in September, have expanded to hundreds of secondary schools across the country. Demonstrators are calling for greater investment in education and improved conditions for both students and teachers.

At the centre of the protests are concerns over teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, unreplaced teacher absences, poor school infrastructure, heavy workloads and academic pressure.

Students and educators argue that years of pressure on the public education system have left schools struggling to meet growing demands and provide adequate learning conditions.

The movement is calling for the recruitment of more teachers, smaller classes, better-maintained school facilities and increased funding for public education.

Protesters are also demanding a more reliable system for replacing absent teachers, as well as changes to Parcoursup, France’s university admissions platform.

The mobilisation has grown significantly in recent weeks, with blockades and demonstrations reported at hundreds of secondary schools.

By early October, an estimated 400 to 500 schools had been fully or partially affected by blockades. On October 6, more than 266,000 people participated in demonstrations across France, according to government figures, including around 56,000 in Paris.

While most protests have involved rallies and school blockades, some demonstrations have resulted in clashes and property damage.

Authorities have reported incidents involving fires, arrests and confrontations with police, with tear gas and other crowd-control measures used in some cases.

Police say intervention has been necessary to prevent violence and protect people and property, while protesters and rights groups have raised concerns over police conduct during some demonstrations.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has called for dialogue and announced measures intended to address some of the concerns raised by students and education workers.

However, protesters say the government’s response has yet to meet their demands.

With demonstrations continuing across the country, pressure is mounting on the government to turn its commitments into concrete measures addressing staffing, funding and conditions in France’s public education system.