French Students Reject €4bn School Repair Offer, Vow to Continue Blockades

Student union leaders instructed French high schoolers to keep barricading their schools and joining street protests on Monday. This directive came hours after the government unveiled a package of education measures intended to resolve the ongoing crisis.

Pierre Sourzat, a representative for the Les Lycéens union, stated that the group is currently engaged in negotiations with the state. He described the situation as a power struggle, arguing that continued mobilization is necessary to satisfy the maximum number of student demands.

The government presented specific concessions to high school student representatives, including plans to cap class sizes and review the university application process. Sourzat dismissed the package as insufficient, declaring that the students want concrete measures rather than half measures.

The proposals address demands raised by high school pupils more than five weeks after blockades began in September. The movement has grown into one of the largest youth protest efforts in years, with trade unions and cost-of-living protesters joining Saturday mass demonstrations.

Pupils initially demanded an end to teacher shortages and repairs to deteriorating school buildings. These structures suffered from collapsing ceilings, mold, broken toilets, missing chairs, and windows that would not close. Education Minister Édouard Geffray acknowledged that some schools were not fit for teaching. He announced a €4bn government loan to regional authorities to begin repairs.

Geffray also detailed changes to class sizes. Limits of 28 students for 15-year-olds will apply to the 50% of schools in the lowest-income areas, expanding to all high schools next year. The government will create more teaching posts and review the baccalaureate system. The university application platform, Parcoursup, will be modified in 2027 and replaced by a new system in 2028. Parliament will debate this issue on Wednesday.

Higher education minister Philippe Baptiste said 15,000 extra student places will be created, focusing on vocational courses. Louis Letoublon, who met with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu on behalf of Les Lycéens, said the government is afraid and knows it must listen. He noted that not all demands were met and that the group will continue for as long as it takes.

Tensions remain high after several children were maimed or seriously injured in protests, allegedly by police explosive weapons. Hundreds of children have been arrested and held in police custody. Authorities increased security and restricted demonstrations following 17 October, which saw looting, fires, and vandalism of state buildings. Curfews and protest bans were implemented in certain cities, with routes pushed to the outskirts on Saturday.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez identified a new phenomenon in cities like Nice and Montpellier, where ultra-right groups arrived in organized formations to target protesters. Eleven suspects face charges. President Emmanuel Macron visited Marseille on Monday, stating that nationwide street protests would likely continue. He labeled the upcoming demonstrations on 31 October a day of risk and said the country should not be in such a state of turmoil six months before a presidential election.

Macron, who steps down next spring, said the government would continue to hold the line. He noted that the movement would subside if legitimate expectations are addressed and order is maintained, though nothing is a foregone conclusion. Marine Le Pen currently leads the polls. Authorities admitted to security and intelligence failures that paved the way for the clashes on 17 October.