French student protests resume on smaller scale after school holidays

French high school students returned to protests on Monday, but demonstrations were far smaller than those seen before the two-week school break. Attempts to blockade schools were reported in several cities, including Paris, Marseille and Rennes.

By 9:30am around 41 high schools – roughly 1 per cent of the country's total – had been blockaded, according to the French Education Ministry. This marked a sharp decline from the weeks before the holidays, when hundreds of schools across France were affected.

Protests extend beyond education

The demonstrations first emerged in the Paris suburbs in September before spreading to other parts of the country. What began as anger over conditions in schools has since grown into a wider movement, with students and activists raising concerns about the rising cost of living and social inequality.

Trade unionists have also joined the protests. Some demonstrations last month escalated into violent clashes with police, while several cities saw riots and shops being looted. The unrest has added pressure on President Emmanuel Macron's minority government ahead of elections next year.

The movement is part of a wider wave of youth-led demonstrations across Europe, with similar protests reported in Germany, Italy, Belgium and Albania. Participants have voiced frustration over living costs, underfunded education systems and alleged corruption.

Government offers fail to satisfy students

Despite the latest attempts to block schools, Education Minister Edouard Geffray played down the scale of Monday's action.

“In terms of blockades – or rather, attempted blockades – the phenomenon is very marginal. We're talking about just a handful of units, a few individual schools,” he told France Inter radio.

Geffray stressed that students had the right to protest but warned that preventing others from accessing schools was illegal. Police were present at several locations, although television footage showed officers were not wearing full anti-riot equipment.

Students are calling for improvements to ageing school buildings, more teachers and additional university places. They also want changes to the university admissions system, which they argue disadvantages young people from less privileged backgrounds.

Last week, Geffray proposed limiting class sizes to 28 pupils, investing €4 billion in school renovations and creating 15,000 additional higher education places. He also promised a new university admissions system by 2028.

However, student representatives have dismissed the proposals as insufficient and warned that demonstrations would continue.

Although Monday's turnout was considerably lower, the government's challenge remains: addressing the concerns of young people before the unrest gathers momentum again.

Tags

News France Protests Students