French School Protests Draw 256,000 Nationwide

Student-led protests over conditions in French schools brought about 256,000 people onto the streets across France on October 6, including 56,000 in Paris, according to figures from the Interior Ministry. The demonstrations disrupted hundreds of schools and brought renewed attention to students’ complaints about staffing, facilities and access to higher education. The protests began in the Paris region in September and spread nationwide. Students have cited shortages of teachers and support staff, crowded classrooms, deteriorating buildings, inadequate resources and long school days. Some also want changes to Parcoursup, the online platform used to apply for higher education, which they say lacks transparency. The movement has drawn support from teachers, parents and unions. There is no single national list of demands, Education Minister Édouard Geffray has said, with concerns varying among schools. The Education Ministry reported that 413 of France’s 3,700 secondary schools experienced protests or disruption on October 5. Geffray separately estimated that 400 to 500 were fully or partly closed that day.