Students, teachers and parents marched across France on Tuesday, demanding improvements to school facilities and action on teacher shortages as a growing protest movement disrupted classes nationwide.
Demonstrations began peacefully in Marseille, Nantes and Lyon, with a major gathering expected in Paris. The mobilisation follows roughly two weeks of protests that spread from disadvantaged suburbs around the capital, according to Reuters.
Hundreds of schools faced closures or blockades. The Associated Press reported that the Education Ministry recorded full or partial closures at nearly 900 schools. The disruption has combined street demonstrations with class boycotts, as students press for greater investment in public education.
Students describe overcrowded classrooms, deteriorating buildings and lessons interrupted by absent teachers who are not replaced. Interviews published by Le Monde also highlighted shortages of school nurses and concerns that pupils in working-class neighbourhoods face unequal access to educational resources.
For many participants, the demands extend beyond building repairs. Students say their learning conditions affect their chances of entering higher education and securing employment, while lengthy school schedules add to their frustration.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has instructed ministers to prepare proposals addressing teacher replacements, school hours and repairs to ageing buildings by the end of October. However, pressure on France’s public finances could complicate the government’s response.
The handling of the protests has also come under scrutiny. Human rights organisations have criticised police tactics against minors, while reports of serious injuries have intensified anger among demonstrators. Students interviewed by The Guardian called for both better education funding and changes to policing, emphasising solidarity between schools in central Paris and its suburbs.
The demonstrations have placed school conditions at the centre of France’s political debate, increasing pressure on authorities to turn promised reforms into practical improvements.
