France Lends €4bn to Regions for School Repairs as Students Vow to Keep Protesting

The French government announced a €4 billion loan for regional authorities to repair school buildings on Monday, a move intended to address the demands of high school students who have barricaded their campuses for more than five weeks.

Education Minister Édouard Geffray stated that some schools are so dilapidated they are "not fit" for teaching. The funding is allocated to begin repairs on structures suffering from collapsing ceilings, mould, broken toilets, missing chairs, and windows that fail to shut.

In response to complaints about overcrowding, Geffray specified that class sizes for 15-year-olds in their first year of high school will be capped at 28 students. This limit applies to the 50% of schools located in the lowest-income areas, with the cap extending to all high schools next year. The government also confirmed that additional teaching posts will be created and that the French baccalaureate system will undergo review.

Higher education reforms were also detailed. The Parcoursup application platform, which critics have described as opaque and unfair, will be modified in 2027 and replaced by a new system in 2028. Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste added that 15,000 extra student places will be created, with a focus on vocational courses. Parliament is scheduled to debate these university application changes on Wednesday.

Pierre Sourzat of the student union Les Lycéens told France Info television that the group remains in a power struggle with the state. "We want measures, not half measures," Sourzat said, arguing that continued mobilization is necessary to meet their maximum demands. Louis Letoublon, who met with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, stated that the government now knows it must listen to students, though not all demands were met. Letoublon said the union will continue protesting for as long as necessary.

The government’s door remains open for further discussions, according to Baptiste. However, the protest movement has expanded beyond schools, joining with trade unions and cost-of-living protesters in regular Saturday street demonstrations. This has become one of the largest youth protest movements in recent years.

Tensions escalated following 17 October, when France experienced its worst day of violence in years. Looting, fires, and vandalism of state buildings occurred nationwide. Authorities have since increased security measures, implemented curfews in certain cities, and banned protests in some areas. Protest routes were moved to the outskirts of cities on Saturday, when demonstrations largely remained peaceful.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported that ultra-right groups arrived in "organised formations" in cities such as Nice and Montpellier over the weekend, targeting protesters. Eleven suspects are set to face charges. Several children have been maimed or seriously injured during the protests, allegedly by police explosive weapons, while hundreds have been arrested and held in custody.

President Emmanuel Macron visited Marseille on Monday and acknowledged that street protests would likely continue. He described the upcoming demonstrations on 31 October as a "day of risk." Macron stated that the looting and vandalism seen on 17 October should never happen again and that it was "not normal" for the country to be in such turmoil six months before a presidential election.

Macron is scheduled to step down next spring, with far-right leader Marine Le Pen currently leading the polls. Authorities have admitted to security and intelligence failures that allowed the clashes of 17 October to unfold.