Student protests against poor educational conditions are spreading across France. Complaints about teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, and aging school facilities have escalated into street demonstrations, leading to clashes with police and becoming a new challenge for the government of Emmanuel Macron.
The protests began on September 17 at a high school in the suburbs of Paris and have since expanded nationwide. As of October 5, 468 out of more than 3,700 high schools across the country were fully or partially closed, with some students blocking entrances and clashing with police.
According to CNN, a 15-year-old student in the northern city of Lens suffered severe injuries when a grenade exploded, resulting in the loss of a hand. François-Xavier Roche, the Pas-de-Calais prefect, stated, "The student was quickly transported to a nearby hospital and is not in life-threatening condition." The General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN) is set to investigate the incident, as reported by Yonhap News.
The students are demanding improvements in educational conditions, citing chronic teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, and outdated school facilities as their main grievances. They are calling for increased funding for educational personnel and resources.
However, the French government has already proposed a budget for 2027 that includes increased spending in the education sector. The Ministry of Education has allocated approximately €65.5 billion for the upcoming year, an increase of €1.2 billion from the previous year. The government plans to invest in teacher training, reducing class sizes, and student protection.
The challenge remains that the French government is maintaining an overall fiscal austerity policy. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is pursuing a plan to keep government spending, excluding defense, at the previous year's levels. The government aims to reduce the budget deficit to 5.0% of GDP, with national debt interest costs expected to reach around €91 billion.
As a result, even if the government increases the education budget, there are concerns about how effectively the students' demands for more teachers and improved classroom conditions will be felt in schools. Students and teachers are calling for additional financial support for education.
The protests are also spilling into the political arena ahead of the presidential election scheduled for April next year. The Macron government and the far-right National Rally (RN) claim that far-left groups are exploiting the protests, a claim that the far-left France Unbowed (LFI) denies.
As the students' protests evolve from demands for educational improvements to a broader social and political conflict, large-scale demonstrations are planned across France on October 6. It remains to be seen whether this gathering will mark a turning point in the conflict between the government and the students.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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