French high school students resumed the barricading of school entrances on Monday, following the conclusion of a two-week autumn break. The demonstrations, which have persisted since September, show little sign of waning despite government appeals for students to return to their classrooms. Dozens of high schools across France were blockaded again on Monday as the government braced for another tense week of protests over school conditions and the high cost of living. Students’ unions ignored Emmanuel Macron’s call to end the lycée blockades, which have been running since September and have prompted one of the biggest protest movements and social crises of his presidency, as children returned after the two-week school holiday. According to he, He understood why high-school students felt the government had not offered enough to fix problems in schools, but urged more dialogue between the government and pupils.
Students are demanding increased funding for the education sector, improved access to higher education, and urgent renovations to deteriorating school facilities. In major cities including Paris, Lille, Toulouse, and Marseille, protesters blocked entryways using wheelie bins. Police officers were deployed to manage the disruptions, resulting in several arrests as officials attempted to clear the barricades.
Nathanaël Combary, a representative from the Renouveau Lycéen students’ union and a member of the Renaissance party, described the ongoing demonstrations as a necessary battle of strength. He stated that previous government offers—including proposals to limit class sizes and reforms to university application platforms—remained inadequate to address systemic issues. Combary defended the tactics, noting that while the situation was democratically difficult, it remained the only viable path to force a substantive government response. According to he, Measures offered by the government last week to cap some class sizes and review the university applications platform were inadequate. He said: “Democratically speaking it’s a bit scandalous that we have to reach this type of situation to be heard but it’s the only solution we have.”.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray expressed significant concern regarding the academic impact of the protests, stating that the school year is now at risk for many final-year students. He noted that hundreds of thousands of pupils preparing for their baccalauréat exams have missed weeks of instruction, making it increasingly difficult to complete the required curriculum. Geffray characterized the blockades as illegal and reiterated that his primary objective is the restoration of normal teaching operations.
Discrepancies in the scale of the unrest persist, with the education ministry reporting that 41 schools were affected, representing approximately 1% of the national total, while students’ unions claimed the number was closer to 150. Students’ unions put the figure at 150.
The tension is expected to escalate this week, with university students planning further barricades. Additionally, trade unions have organized a large-scale nationwide strike for Thursday, with teachers, rail workers, and private-sector employees expected to join in support of the students’ demands regarding living costs and school conditions.
In Montpellier, controversy erupted after video footage surfaced showing a 53-year-old school nurse being forcibly restrained and handcuffed by police near a barricade. Local authorities defended the arrest, alleging that the nurse had insulted officers and resisted authority, while Socialist Senator Hussein Bourgi condemned the government’s response as provocative. The Socialist senator Hussein Bourgi accused the government of “misconduct” and “provocation” after video footage showed a 53-year-old school nurse saying something to police near a school barricade before being forced face-down to the ground, handcuffed and taken into police custody, in Montpellier.
Nicolas Bonnet, from the SNPDEN-UNSA headteachers’ union, emphasized the need to prioritize teaching while acknowledging the legitimacy of the students’ grievances. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has committed to holding further meetings with student union representatives next week to discuss a potential resolution.
