France’s nationwide high school protest movement has intensified, with students across the country demonstrating against teacher shortages and poor learning conditions. The unrest has spread for nearly two weeks, disrupting France’s lycée system, the upper secondary schools attended by teens.
French authorities said about 3,000 people have been arrested since the protests began, including nearly 2,000 on Thursday alone. Education Minister Édouard Geffray said 170 students, 65 school staff members and nearly 400 police officers have been injured as some demonstrations turned violent.
On Friday, roughly 900 protests were held across France, and more than 500 schools closed as students blockaded campuses, set fires and clashed with riot police. The French education ministry said that in the 2024-25 school year, nearly 10% of classes in public middle and high schools were canceled, including 7.5% that were lost because no substitute teacher could be found.
Students said overcrowded classrooms and a lack of basic resources were pushing them to the streets. One student in the Paris suburb of Pantin said there were 35 students in a class and not even enough chairs, reflecting the broader frustration driving the unrest.
