French school protests resume on small scale as students return from break

What the report says

High school protests in France resumed on a limited scale as students returned from their two-week holiday break, according to Al Jazeera reporting based on ministry figures and Reuters. The Education Ministry said 41 high schools were blockaded on Monday, or roughly 1 percent of the country’s 3,700 schools, a sharp drop from the larger wave of disruptions seen before the break. Attempted blockades were reported in cities including Paris, Marseille and Rennes.

Education Minister Edouard Geffray said the disruption was only affecting a small number of schools and argued that blocking access is illegal, while allowing demonstrations themselves. He also warned that prolonged unrest could put the school year at risk for hundreds of thousands of pupils. The protests began in the Paris suburbs in September and later spread nationwide, with anger expanding beyond education issues to the cost of living and public services.

Students have been calling for renovated schools, more teachers, more university places and changes to an admissions system they view as unfair. In response, the government has announced a gradual replacement of the Parcoursup platform by 2028, canceled planned education job cuts, promised 500 additional posts, and pledged spending on school renovations and higher education places. Student groups said those measures were not enough and planned further blockades later in the week.