By TheDailyNewsHub Reporter
Students across France have resumed protests and school blockades following a two-week autumn holiday, demanding improved educational facilities, more teachers and better access to higher education.
The demonstrations resumed on Monday, November 2, 2026, although participation was significantly lower than before the holidays. France’s Education Ministry said about 41 of the country’s 3,700 high schools, representing approximately one per cent, were affected by blockades.
The protests, which began in September around Paris, have expanded into a wider movement addressing rising living costs, educational inequality and concerns over deteriorating public services.
In Marseille, students blocked the entrance to a high school using rubbish bins, while similar demonstrations were reported in Paris and other cities.
The government has announced several measures to address students’ concerns, including a proposed limit of 28 pupils per classroom, €4 billion for school renovations, 15,000 additional university places and reforms to the university admissions system by 2028.
However, student representatives have rejected the proposals as insufficient, insisting that more substantial action and funding are needed.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray urged students to return to classrooms, warning that prolonged disruptions could affect their academic performance and final examinations.
He acknowledged students’ right to demonstrate but stressed that blocking access to schools was illegal.
President Emmanuel Macron has also called for classes to resume peacefully, maintaining that the concerns of young people have been heard.
Meanwhile, France’s trade unions and student organisations are preparing further demonstrations, with nationwide strike action scheduled for November 5 as the movement increasingly incorporates wider demands for improved wages and measures to address the rising cost of living.
Despite the government’s concessions, the renewed protests indicate that tensions over education, economic pressures and public services remain unresolved.