French Students Protest Staff Shortages and Poor School Facilities

Tens of thousands of students and supporters across France are protesting deteriorating school facilities, overcrowded classrooms, and staff shortages, with demonstrations and blockades reported at over 1,200 high schools in multiple cities. The protests, which began in Parisian suburbs, have spread to Marseille, Strasbourg, Tours, and Lille. In Seine-Saint-Denis, a poorer department, about two-thirds of high schools participated, with union surveys showing two-thirds of schools have vacant teaching positions. Students report cancelled classes and inadequate sanitation. The movement has become a political flashpoint amid government spending cuts that eliminated 3,256 teaching positions nationwide in 2026. Police have used tear gas and rubber bullets, arresting over 5,000 people. The protests echo a major 1990s high school movement over inadequate funding.