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High school students in France resumed protests on Monday after the school holidays. The demonstrations were considerably smaller than before the two-week break, AnewZ reported. Attempts to block schools were recorded in several cities, including Paris, Marseille and Rennes.
According to France’s Education Ministry, about 41 high schools — roughly 1% of schools nationwide — had been blocked by 9:30 a.m. In the weeks before the break, demonstrations had affected hundreds of schools across the country.
Protests extend beyond education issues
The protests began in September in the Paris suburbs before spreading to other parts of the country. What started as discontent over conditions in schools has grown to include concerns about the rising cost of living and social inequality. Union representatives have joined the demonstrations alongside students and activists.
Some demonstrations last month turned into violent clashes with police. Riots broke out in several cities, and shops were looted. The incidents have added pressure on President Emmanuel Macron’s minority government ahead of elections next year.
The movement in France is part of a broader wave of youth-led protests in Europe. Similar demonstrations have been reported in Germany, Italy, Belgium and Albania. Protesters have voiced dissatisfaction with the cost of living, underfunded education systems and allegations of corruption.
Government proposals fail to satisfy students
France’s Education Minister Edouard Geffray played down the scale of Monday’s demonstrations. “In terms of blockades — or, rather, attempts to block schools — this is very limited in scope. We are talking about just a few individual schools,” he told France Inter radio.
Geffray said students had the right to protest but warned that preventing others from entering schools was illegal. Police officers were present in several areas. Television footage showed them without full riot gear.
Students are demanding improvements to aging school buildings, more teachers and additional places at universities. They are also calling for changes to the university admissions system, which they believe disadvantages young people from less affluent families.
Last week, Geffray proposed capping class sizes at 28 students, allocating 4 billion euros to renovate schools and creating 15,000 additional places at higher education institutions. The minister also pledged to develop a new university admissions system by 2028.
Student representatives said the proposals were insufficient and that demonstrations would continue. Although Monday’s protests drew considerably fewer participants than before the break, the government still faces the task of addressing young people’s concerns before demonstrations gain momentum again.
