French students renew school blockades after holiday break

French high school students resumed protests on Monday as classes restarted after a two-week holiday, but the disruption was considerably smaller than before the break. Student organisations have pledged to keep up their campaign, saying government commitments do not go far enough to address their demands.

The Education Ministry reported blockades at 41 high schools, roughly one percent of France’s 3,700, according to public broadcaster Franceinfo. Reuters reported attempts to block access to schools in Paris, Marseille and Rennes. Hundreds of schools had been blockaded during the weeks leading up to the holiday.

Education Minister Edouard Geffray described the renewed blockades and attempts to close schools as limited to a small number of establishments. Speaking to France Inter radio, he said students could protest but could not legally prevent access to schools. Franceinfo also reported his warning that disruption threatened the school year for several hundred thousand pupils.

The movement started in the suburbs of Paris in September before spreading nationwide. In October, its focus expanded from education to the cost of living, bringing trade unionists and activists into the protests. The unrest has posed a test for President Emmanuel Macron’s minority government. Some demonstrations developed into violent confrontations with police, while riots in several cities included the looting of shops.

Students want ageing school buildings renovated, additional teachers recruited and more places made available at universities. They are also seeking an end to the university admissions system, which they regard as socially unfair. Those demands remain central to their campaign as schools reopen.

The government announced a series of education measures last week, including the gradual replacement of the Parcoursup admissions platform by 2028, Franceinfo reported. It cancelled planned education job cuts and promised 500 additional posts, along with a limit of 28 pupils per class in the first year of high school. Its commitments also included 4 billion euros ($4.47bn) for school renovations and 15,000 additional higher education places.

Student representatives rejected the measures as insufficient and said their protests would continue. Pierre Sourzat, president of the student organisation Les Lyceens!, backed renewed disruption on Sunday. “Of course we’re calling for a blockade,” he said, according to France 24.

Further action is planned for later this week. The Union Syndicale Lyceenne and Student Union have urged blockades on Tuesday and Thursday. The UNEF student union has also called for nationwide university blockades on Tuesday, describing the planned mobilisation as a “black day” for universities.