The key facts

  • Since late September, mass student protests over learning conditions have been taking place across France
  • In 2025, average class size reached a record 30.2 pupils, and 15.4 million lesson hours were lost due to lack of substitutes
  • The Ministry promised 3,000 substitute teachers for 114 schools; 2,000 have already been assigned

Wave of protests since late September

Since late September, hundreds of thousands of pupils across France have taken to the streets in protest against learning conditions. In Bagnolet near Paris, 18-year-old graduate Abdel told AFP that at the start of the year he had no biology teacher, and a replacement only appeared mid-year — and it was an English teacher: 'I missed a year of lessons.' He also complained about the state of the toilets, unstable internet and a shortage of printer ink, noting: 'There is real inequality between us and Paris pupils.' Students plan to block the school until the autumn holidays, which begin on Friday, and then hold more regular protests without missing classes.

Staff shortages and overcrowded classes

France spends 24% more per high school pupil than the OECD average, yet the latest PISA results were the country's worst since the rankings began in 2000. OECD analyst Eric Charbonnier believes the question is how the money is spent: almost a third of the education ministry's budget for 2027 will go to pensions. According to the ministry, last year 15.4 million hours of lessons were lost due to a lack of substitutes, and average class size in 2025 reached a record 30.2 pupils. The ministry promised 3,000 substitute teachers for the 114 hardest-hit schools and said on Wednesday that it had already assigned 2,000. Teacher Fatoumata Danso from the Eugène Hénaff lycée in Bagnolet (where the poverty rate is almost twice the national average of 15%) noted that her colleague's advanced mathematics class has 36–37 pupils. In Aubervilliers, where 42% of households are poor, philosophy teacher Chloé Jean reported that the school of 1,000 pupils has no nurse, and pupils even sing 'La Marseillaise' in protest. Starting teacher salary is about €2,100 a month.

Dilapidated buildings and teacher allocation

According to a 2023 Senate report, billions of euros are needed to repair school buildings. In Marseille, teacher Étienne Castel taught for two years at the Marie Laurencin collège in temporary buildings on a car park, erected two decades earlier; the Bouches-du-Rhône department plans to rebuild the school, but the project depends on the city allocating land, and negotiations have been going on for years. In La Courneuve, where poverty is almost three times the average, teacher Gabriel Recoche said broken heating forced teachers to strike — in winter pupils sit in their coats, and summer heat calls exam holding into question. Regions are responsible for about 3,700 lycée buildings; Île-de-France region president Valérie Pécresse said €6.6 billion has been spent on lycée repairs since 2015. The points-based allocation system gives experienced teachers more choice of workplace, so the most difficult schools get young teachers.

Food problems

Danso said some of her pupils in Bagnolet do not get a proper lunch in the canteen due to unpaid funding: 'They simply don't eat. It's 2026, we're in France... this is unacceptable.' Abdel said that 'often three or four people share one portion,' and canteen staff sometimes give extra helpings. His 17-year-old classmate Samuel added: 'They're our friends, we won't let them watch us eat.' The Île-de-France region stated that a third of meals at the Eugène Hénaff lycée fall into the lowest-income category (families pay 20 or 50 cents, the region tops up), there are no subsidy arrears, and when there are payment difficulties the school can use a social fund financed by the ministry. The school principal did not respond to AFP's request. The Ministry of Education and the schools mentioned also did not respond to requests at the time of publication (one school referred the question to regional authorities).