Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu promised plan to respond to crisis by end of October but many students remain unconvinced by words.
Adult protesters form a chain with their arms to protect teenagers on a blockade action near Helene Boucher high-school during a demonstration of high-school students in Paris, on October 8, 2026, as part of a nationwide protest movement over learning conditions. Since late September, pupils have barred the entrances to hundreds of schools, complaining of teacher absences, overloaded timetables, dilapidated classrooms and buildings ill-adapted to rising temperatures, among other grievances. (Photo by SIMON WOHLFAHRT / AFP)
High school pupils across France launched a fresh day of protests on Thursday, despite government attempts to ease a crisis that has rocked the country for days.
Children have blocked entrances to hundreds of high schools across the country for more than a week, with squads of riot police deployed to control the situation, occasionally sparking violent clashes.
Associations of high school children have urged mobilisation on Thursday as the protests have widened, with university student unions joining in, a rally planned in Paris and national education unions calling a general strike.
While the rallies have been largely peaceful, some demonstrators have started fires and vandalised bus shelters, and police have used tear gas, batons and blast balls, rights groups and the children accusing officers of using disproportionate force.
In a televised address on Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu promised a plan to respond to the crisis by the end of October.
Although he denied security forces had been given “orders to confront” the young people, many students were unconvinced.
“We don’t want words, we want action,” 17-year-old Camille told AFP from a student march in the western city of Nantes.
Outside one high school in Rennes, 18-year-old Hanaa told AFP she was “disappointed and unconvinced” by Lecornu’s remarks.
“We expected more from him,” agreed fellow student Salyna, 17, adding they were disappointed the government would not respond until the end of the month.
“This is an urgent situation”.
Student ‘dialogue’
As the government tried to adopt a conciliatory tone, Education Minister Edouard Geffray promised to present an “emergency plan” on teacher replacements within “a few hours or a few days”.
He spoke after a visit to a high school in Reims where he took part in a “dialogue” with students.
A fresh meeting between the three main student associations with Geffray and Baptiste was planned for Thursday afternoon.
Students have asked for a direct meeting with Lecornu to present what they say are costed proposals to address their demands.
Student demonstrators, many attending high schools called lycees for children aged between 15 and 18 years old, have complained of missing teachers, overloaded timetables, dilapidated classrooms and buildings that cannot cope with rising temperatures.
Economy Minister Roland Lescure said this week there was room to address demands for more school resources within the highly constrained 2027 budget, which is facing heated political debate.
In the current draft, education has the second largest increase in funding, after defence, with a boost of 1.4 percent to 90.9 billion euros.
When asked about a high school renovation drive, Lescure said responsibility for school infrastructure lies with regional governments.
France’s spending picture on education is mixed.
A report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development found that France spends 24 percent more per student on upper secondary education than the OECD average, but it spends markedly less at earlier stages, particularly primary schools.
The country’s recent PISA score, an annual survey which assesses the performance of education systems by measuring the skills of 15-year-old students, was France’s worst since the rankings began in 2000.
‘Cracking down on France’s children’
At one Paris high school, AFP saw adult protesters forming a human chain between police and protesting teenagers, who huddled together carrying backpacks and placards.
Access to the school had been blockaded with bins and railings, and AFP saw some scuffles between riot police and protesters.
In the southern city of Toulouse, high school protesters waved the French flag and placards, while graffiti on a school wall read: “The police are cracking down on France’s children”.
Hundreds of students, police and teaching staff have been injured since the protests began, and more than 6 500 people, mostly minors, have been arrested.
A 15-year-old lost a hand on Monday after police fired a stun grenade, and the government suspended the use of the weapons in response.
Police have opened 18 internal investigations into allegations of misconduct.
The unrest has erupted just months ahead of the 2027 election to choose a successor to centrist President Emmanuel Macron, with far-right veteran candidate Marine Le Pen riding high in the polls despite a graft conviction.
