«Մեդիան հանուն կրթության» ՀԿ–ն հետևում է էթիկական լրագրության կանոններին։
Բողոքների դեպքում դիմել
Դիտորդ մարմին։
Photo: France-Presse
Student Protests Continue to Disrupt More Than 200 High Schools in France, Violence Reported at Around 50.
Student protests that began in late September 2026 continued on October 1. According to officials in the Île-de-France region, since the start of the protest movement, the entrances and checkpoints of around 30 schools have been completely or partially damaged. Authorities estimate the cost of the damage to schools at more than €1 million. Le Monde reports.
The protests began on September 21 across the suburbs of Paris. Student organisations are demanding more human and financial resources for national education, pointing to teacher shortages, the problem of teachers not being replaced when absent, the condition of school buildings, overloaded timetables and problems related to Parcoursup, the system used to apply to higher education programmes.
Teacher shortages
According to a survey conducted by the SNES-FSU teachers’ union at the beginning of September, at least one teacher was missing in 53% of public middle and high schools at the start of the school year. The survey covered 1,033 schools.
According to France’s Ministry of Education, 9.8% of teaching hours in public secondary schools were not provided during the 2024–2025 school year. Of these, 7.5% were not delivered because absent teachers were not replaced, while 2.3% were due to schools being completely closed. In high schools, the overall share of teaching hours not provided was 10.4%.
Overloaded classes
Student organisations are also calling for school workloads to be reviewed. In 2025, an average of 30.2 students were enrolled in each class in France’s general and technological high schools, compared with 27.7 in 2010.
Another reason for the protests is the Parcoursup system, which is required for applications to most higher education programmes.
According to Le Monde, by the end of the main admissions phase in July 2026, 163,372 applicants — 18% of those registered on the platform — had not received an offer. Of these, 126,652 were still waiting for an offer.
Condition of school buildings
Students are also demanding the renovation of school buildings and improvements to learning conditions. The poor condition of school buildings is one of the main reasons cited for the protest movement.
Violence
According to French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, on September 30 the educational process was completely or partially disrupted at 356 high schools across the country, compared with 338 the previous day. On the same day, police arrested 625 people, while 83 police officers and gendarmes were injured.
According to French Education Minister Édouard Geffray, 119 education-sector employees and students have been injured since the protests began, including 34 education workers. The minister described the figure as unprecedented in France’s education system. Several incidents involving violence and fires were reported in Marseille and Nantes on October 1.
Petrol
At Victor-Hugo High School in Marseille, petrol was splashed on school staff. Reuters reported that initial accounts said school employees had been doused with petrol, but local authorities later clarified that the petrol splashed onto them while a student was attempting to pour it into a rubbish bin.
Near Saint-Exupéry High School in Marseille, protesters surrounded a fire engine that had arrived to put out a fire. Firefighters were forced to leave the vehicle, which was subsequently set on fire. Reuters reported that fires were also reported at other schools.
A fire broke out in the entrance hall of Nelson-Mandela High School in Nantes. Le Monde reported that the fire also spread to the front of the school building but was successfully extinguished. No injuries were reported. According to the school’s deputy head, the fire was started deliberately, although its exact cause had not yet been established.
The Associated Press reported that the Education Ministry had urged schools to hold classes remotely if necessary.
University students join the protests
University students also joined the protest movement on October 1. According to Le Monde, around 30 university faculties took part in the demonstrations. Students are also demanding greater financial and human resources for education.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu convened an emergency government meeting on October 1 amid the spread of the protest movement and the incidents of violence. The Education Ministry said it planned to meet with representatives of teachers’ unions, parents and students.
