French students protest poor school conditions, teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and long school days

Students complain about teacher shortages and overcrowded classrooms.

Long school days and deteriorating school buildings are also major grievances.

Hundreds of schools have been closed or disrupted as protests spread.

Thousands of high school students across France have taken to the streets and blocked school entrances to protest what they describe as worsening conditions in the country’s education system.

The demonstrations, which began in the Paris region in mid-September, have spread to schools across France, with students complaining about teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, deteriorating school buildings and overloaded timetables.

The protests began at a high school in Créteil, southeast of Paris, where students and teachers raised concerns about inadequate staffing and poor conditions. The movement has since expanded to other cities, including Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes and Bordeaux.

According to France’s Education Ministry, more than 1,000 high schools were affected by strikes or protests on October 1, including 222 blockades. The figure represented about one in four high schools in the country.

Students say one of their biggest problems is the shortage of teachers, which has left some classes without regular instruction.

At Lycée Le Corbusier in Aubervilliers, north of Paris, students and parents said several subjects, including mathematics, humanities, English and physical education, had been affected by teacher shortages.

Reuters reported that 17-year-old student Maisa, who hopes to become an English teacher, sat her French examination the previous year without having a French teacher.

“These are not conditions to study in,” she said.

Students have also complained about classes becoming too large, with some classrooms reportedly accommodating as many as 40 students, while others have pointed to ageing or poorly maintained school buildings.

At schools in poorer communities around Paris, protesters say they face worse conditions and fewer resources than students in wealthier areas.

Long school days have also become a major grievance.

French high school students can begin classes around 8am and remain in school until late afternoon. Some protesters have complained that their schedules can stretch to around 6pm, leaving them with little time for rest.

At a Paris school, a student told AP that protesters wanted to address “overloaded schedules, the system, the teachers, people who don’t listen to us, the university application process.”

Another student, speaking to AFP, described the workload and conditions facing pupils and teachers.

“We are also there to support our teachers who have a crazy amount of work compared to what they earn,” the 17-year-old said.

The protests have not been entirely peaceful, with some demonstrations escalating into clashes with police, fires and damage to property.

Students have blocked school entrances, burned rubbish bins and thrown objects at police in some cities. Authorities have responded with tear gas and other crowd-control measures.

By October 2, France’s Education Ministry said at least 400 of the country’s roughly 3,700 high schools had been closed, while 560 reported protests or disruptions.

Students carry out a blocking protest at the Lycee Lamartine secondary school during a day of nationwide public sector strikes and demonstrations, in Paris. The government has also reported injuries among students, police officers and education workers. Education Minister Édouard Geffray said 78 education staff had been injured, while authorities said 24 schools had been burned or ransacked.

The French government has condemned violence and vandalism while acknowledging that some of the students’ concerns are legitimate.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu convened a crisis meeting as the demonstrations spread, while Education Minister Édouard Geffray said the government needed to listen to students’ concerns.

RELATED; Protest as patient dies after ambulance was stopped for minister’s convoy to pass

However, authorities have also accused political activists, particularly from the far left, of exploiting the student movement and contributing to violence. That claim has been rejected by political opponents of the government and should be distinguished from the students’ underlying complaints about education.

The unrest has also attracted support from some teachers and parents. In some locations, teachers have joined students at demonstrations, with some saying they were there to protect young protesters during confrontations with police.

The demonstrations have now become a wider political challenge for the French government, with further protests planned and trade unions calling for workers to join nationwide demonstrations.

For the students taking part, however, the central message remains focused on their education: they want better-equipped schools, enough teachers, less overcrowding and timetables they say give them little time to rest.

The government is under pressure to respond as the protests continue, with hundreds of schools expected to remain fully or partly closed amid concerns over safety and further demonstrations.