France’s student revolt: Why pupils are protesting across the country

Thousands of student protesters will march across France on Tuesday over the state of the education system, following two weeks of violent clashes with police.

For the past two weeks, France has been struggling to contain its largest student protest movement in decades, with up to 1,000 schools affected and more than 5,000 people taken into police custody.

As the movement has been led mainly by high-school students, most of those detained have no previous criminal record.

More than 100 schools have been damaged, while French Education Minister Édouard Geffray confirmed that another 24 schools had been “burned or ransacked” since the protests began on 21 September.

Strikes, demonstrations and blockades quickly escalated into violent clashes between young protesters and police officers, with widespread criticism of the police response.

In Alençon, one officer was filmed restraining a girl in a headlock, a technique banned in France.

In Lens, a 15-year-old student lost his hand after picking up a police grenade that had been thrown into a crowd of high-school protesters during clashes.

A 16-year-old boy taking part in protests in Tours also lost the use of one eye after being injured during a blockade on 30 September, reportedly after being struck by a rubber projectile fired by police.

Students, teachers and police officers have all been injured during the widespread unrest, while images from across France have shown young protesters setting rubbish bins on fire and manning barricades.

When?

The spark was lit on 21 September at Saint-Exupéry high school in Créteil, when students joined educators protesting staff shortages and a lack of resources. Initially, the demonstrations attracted little attention.

However, the movement spread rapidly, developing into a nationwide crisis within roughly two weeks. By 1 October, more than 1,000 schools were affected by strikes, demonstrations or blockades, equivalent to around one in four French high schools.

The protests have brought together students from public, private and Church schools across France. Although the movement began in high schools, university students have since joined demonstrations demanding improvements to the country’s education system.

Student leader Manès Nadel said the Education Ministry had been “totally overwhelmed by the crisis”, remarking that an “unprecedented number of schools” were now involved.

Pupils in Paris and surrounding regions began manning barricades, setting rubbish bins on fire and clashing with police, quickly inspiring similar scenes across the country.

From Lille in the north to Marseille in the south, students barricaded school entrances with bins, barriers and other objects in an effort to prevent classes from operating.

Confrontations escalated as police attempted to clear the barricades.

Since then, protesters have faced tear gas, police batons and projectiles. The increasingly aggressive confrontations further inflamed tensions, with rubbish bins and vehicles set on fire, alongside vandalism and attacks on school buildings.

Several groups have accused police of using disproportionate force against minors, who make up a large proportion of the protesters.

In one of the most serious incidents, a 15-year-old boy in Lens lost his hand and part of his lower arm after picking up a police grenade thrown into the crowd during clashes.

A 16-year-old boy taking part in protests in Tours also lost the use of one eye after being injured during a blockade on 30 September, reportedly after being struck by a rubber projectile fired by police.

According to Reuters, more than 5,000 people, most of them teenagers, had been arrested by early October. Around 1,800 face prosecution.

Authorities, meanwhile, say demonstrations have been infiltrated or exploited by violent groups. Investigations are underway into several allegations of police misconduct.

On Tuesday, high school student and trade unions will take part in a “day of mobilisation” as demonstrations continue.

The main protest in Paris is set to get underway in the early afternoon.

Why?

The grievances behind the protests include persistent staff shortages, which often mean absent teachers are not replaced. Students are consequently left with cancelled classes and can go without instruction for long periods.

French secondary schools now have fewer teachers than they did in 2008, despite having around 25,000 more students enrolled.

Overcrowding has become another major complaint, with around 70% of classes in public secondary schools reportedly containing more than 30 pupils.

Staff shortages and overcrowding have also been compounded by a lack of investment in school infrastructure, with students pointing to deteriorating buildings, leaking ceilings, broken toilets, and poor sanitation.

Some have reported rats, cockroaches and badly maintained facilities, while videos circulating online have shown classrooms lacking enough desks and chairs.

Another of the complaints concerns France’s national university admission platform Parcoursup, which students argue creates intense stress and deepens inequality particularly for students from disadvantaged schools.

In 2026, around 163,000 applicants, equalling around 18% of those registered, received none of their requested placements.

Together, students and educators also face long hours and intense academic pressure. These complaints are far from new.

Concerns over teacher shortages, staff cuts and overcrowding have persisted for as long as two decades.

As early as 2008, educators were striking over job cuts and conditions in secondary schools after more than 11,000 posts were cut that year, with another 13,500 cuts planned for 2009.

Grievances over inequality between wealthy and disadvantaged schools have existed for decades, and have been particularly acute in areas surrounding Paris, where poor conditions and deteriorating school buildings have repeatedly fuelled discontent.