Students across France have taken to the streets since late September 2026 due to budget shortages and inadequate educational conditions, leading to widespread protests. These protests have resulted in the blocking of entrances to many high schools and have escalated into violence in some areas. Hundreds of students, teachers, and police officers have been injured in these clashes, and thousands have been arrested.
Reasons for the Protests
Protesters complain about staff shortages and the dilapidated facilities in French "lycées," which are high schools for teenagers aged 15 to 18. Madalena, a student in Paris, said, "Sometimes our teachers are absent for weeks, and no one replaces them." She also pointed to the poor condition of her school buildings during heatwaves.
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Additionally, some students are dissatisfied with the ban on mobile phones and the long school days that last until six in the evening. One high school student told the media, "We get home at seven, and we have no time left for sleep or doing homework."
Deeper Challenges
This discontent has deep roots. Currently, about 80 percent of each generation receives a "baccalauréat," but this diploma does not guarantee entry into the desired field or university. This situation has created intense competition for popular courses and has led to significant anxiety.
According to Laurent Nunez, the Minister of the Interior, this movement has been unprecedented in terms of the number of schools, students, and the level of violence. Moreover, protesters face significant risks; blocking school entrances is illegal, which involves police intervention.
Sébastien Lecornu, the Prime Minister of France, stated that security forces are not instructed to confront high school students and are only required to enforce the law. In French history, student protests have rarely gone unanswered and have previously led to significant reforms.
Surveys show that 72 percent of French people consider the students' demands legitimate, and 55 percent support this movement. This support from teachers, labor unions, and leftist politicians has further empowered the movement.
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