PARIS — Tens of thousands of secondary school pupils, university students, teachers, and parents took to the streets across France on Tuesday for the third national day of action against what they describe as a chronic lack of resources in the country's education system.
Organised by the Union syndicale lycéenne, the protests — dubbed “Act III” — saw around 30 marches planned in cities from Lille to Marseille. The movement has gained momentum since the first rallies in late January, with participants calling for more teachers, better pay, and an end to overcrowded classrooms.
Anger, but a plea for peaceful protest
In Paris, where the main march set off in the early afternoon, demonstrators carried banners reading “Education is a right, not a privilege” and “No to the dismantling of public schools”. Many expressed frustration with the government's handling of the crisis, but also sought to distance themselves from the violent incidents that have marred some recent protests.
“We really do need to distinguish between the rioters and the school pupils,” said one student, who asked not to be named, before the march began. “We’re taking part in the protests, just like 99 per cent of secondary school pupils in France, who are staging peaceful demonstrations and who genuinely want to be heard, to be taken seriously, and not just to be singled out as rioters.”
The Ministry of the Interior reported around 86,000 demonstrators nationwide by mid-morning, with estimates for the Paris march ranging from 20,000 to 40,000 people. The protests come against a backdrop of heightened tension, with the Education Ministry confirming that since the start of the movement, 85 teachers, 215 pupils, and 715 police officers have been injured.
Lessons were suspended “either completely or partially” in 891 of the country's 3,700 secondary schools, according to the ministry.
Core grievances: funding, staffing, and inequality
The protesters' demands are concrete: more staff and funding for the national education system, an end to teacher shortages, and a halt to the deterioration of school buildings. They also criticise the Parcoursup university admissions platform, which they say perpetuates social inequalities.
“We are seeing classrooms with 35 or 40 students, teachers who are not replaced when they are absent, and buildings that are falling apart,” said a spokesperson for the Union syndicale lycéenne. “This is not the education system we deserve.”
The movement has drawn support from parents' associations and major trade unions, who see the protests as part of a broader fight against austerity in public services. In some cities, such as Lyon and Bordeaux, rallies were also attended by climate activists, linking the education crisis to wider concerns about the future of young people.
The government, for its part, has defended its record, pointing to recent investments in education and a pledge to recruit more teachers. But critics argue that these measures are insufficient, and that the underlying problems — chronic underfunding, a demoralised teaching workforce, and a rigid admissions system — remain unaddressed.
Tuesday's protests come at a delicate moment for the French government, which is already facing pressure over its fiscal position and a political impasse that has shaken European markets. The education crisis has also become a flashpoint in the broader debate about social mobility and the role of the state.
As the marches wound down in the evening, student leaders vowed to continue their campaign. “This is not the end,” said one organiser. “We will keep mobilising until the government listens.”
The protests in France are part of a wider European pattern of student activism, from Spain's snap elections to similar education funding battles in other member states. For now, the focus remains on the streets of France, where a generation is demanding to be heard.
