French Students Reject €4bn Repair Plan, Order Continued School Blockades

French high school students are instructed to maintain their school barricades and continue street protests after the government announced a €4 billion repair package on Monday. Pierre Sourzat of the student union Les Lycéens told France Info television that the group remains in a power struggle and must keep mobilizing to meet its maximum demands.

The proposals come more than five weeks after the start of high school blockades in September. The movement has grown into one of the largest youth protests in years, joined by trade unions and cost-of-living protesters who gather for mass demonstrations on Saturdays. Pupil demands included ending teacher shortages and fixing buildings with collapsing ceilings, mould, broken toilets, and windows that would not shut.

Education Minister Édouard Geffray acknowledged that some schools are "not fit" for teaching. He announced a government loan of €4 billion to regional authorities to begin repairs. To address overcrowding, he said class sizes for 15-year-olds in the first year of high school would be capped at 28 in the 50% of schools in the lowest-income areas. This cap will expand to all high schools next year. Additional teaching posts will be created, and a review of the baccalaureate system will begin.

The university application platform Parcoursup, which critics have called opaque and unfair, will be modified in 2027 and replaced by a new system in 2028. Parliament is scheduled to debate the issue on Wednesday. Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste stated that 15,000 extra student places will be created in higher education, with a focus on vocational courses. Baptiste said the government’s door remains "open" for more discussions.

Louis Letoublon, who met with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, said the government is afraid and knows it must listen. He noted that not all demands were met and the union will go on for as long as it takes. Sourzat added that the students want measures, not half measures.

Tensions escalated on 17 October when France experienced its worst day of violence in years, characterized by looting, fires, and vandalism. Several children were maimed or seriously injured, allegedly by police explosive weapons, while hundreds were arrested. Authorities admitted to security and intelligence failures that allowed the clashes to unfold. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said ultra-right groups arrived in "organised formations" in cities like Nice and Montpellier at the weekend. Eleven suspects face charges.

President Emmanuel Macron visited Marseille on Monday and warned that nationwide street protests will likely continue. He called the next demonstration on 31 October a "day of risk." Macron stepped down next spring, with far-right leader Marine Le Pen currently leading the polls. Macron told police members that it was "not normal" for the country to be in such a state of turmoil six months before a presidential election.