France promises more teachers and student representation but protests continue

France's government has promised 3,000 replacement teachers for struggling secondary schools and pledged to give pupils a greater say in education policy in a bid to quell nearly three weeks of student protests. But blockades in some schools resumed on Friday morning and student bodies have called for a further day of action next week. Issued on: 09/10/2026 - 09:27 3 min Reading time Education Minister Edouard Geffray announced on Friday that he was launching a reform of student representation, including more pupil representatives on the national education council and dedicated funding for projects backed by student bodies. One-third of the seats reserved for elected pupil representatives would go to students in vocational education. Regional authorities would also be involved in academic councils representing secondary school pupils. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has also promised changes to the government's budget proposals to address some of the students' demands. The announcements follow nearly three weeks of protests over teaching conditions, staffing and access to higher education. Geffray said in a televised interview on Thursday evening that 3,000 replacement teachers would be deployed to the schools "facing the most serious problems in the coming hours". No teaching posts were due to be cut in secondary schools in 2027, he said. Why are French high school pupils protesting? 'Bare minimum' The promises have done little to calm nearly three weeks of student unrest. Blockades resumed early on Friday at sites including Paris's École du Louvre and Paris-Panthéon-Assas University. The Education Ministry said 141 schools remained closed on Friday morning. Marius Mesnil, co-secretary general a leading secondary school students' union (USL), described the additional teacher announcement as the "bare minimum", telling Franceinfo public radio that the government had offered only small concessions. USL is calling for Parcoursup, the platform used to manage applications to higher education, to be scrapped. Geffray's promise of "greater transparency" is deemed unsatisfactory. “The minister made announcements that were satisfactory on just one issue – student representation in school governance," Louis Letoublon of the Lycéens! student group told reporters after almost two hours of talks with Geffray on Thursday. "On everything else, they were absolutely not.” Letoublon called for the movement to be stepped up to maintain pressure on the government. USL has called for another national day of strikes and demonstrations on 13 October. Another leading student union (UE) has said protests will continue until the government puts 10 billion euros on the table. Students clash with riot police during "Act IV" of a protest against under-resourced schools in Paris, 8 October, 2026. AP Photo/Teresa Suarez - Teresa Suarez Teenager loses hand picking up grenade in France school protests Protests and arrests Students held "Act IV" of their protest movement on Thursday, drawing 71,500 people across France, including 24,500 in Paris, according to the Interior Ministry. The left-wing CGT trade union put the national figure at more than 130,000. The ministry said about 96 percent of schools remained open, with 157 of France's 3,700 secondary schools closed by midday. Police arrested 504 people during Thursday's protests, while nearly 50 police officers and gendarmes were injured, the ministry said. It also reported an increase in urban violence. Student representatives are due to meet ministers again on Monday to discuss transparency in university admissions and pressure on higher education places. Protests began on 17 September when high-school students at the Saint-Exupéry lycée in Créteil, southeast of Paris, joined striking teachers to demand more staff and resources. They then spread rapidly across the Île-de-France region and, by late September, nationwide. (with newswires)