France Pledges Education Reforms and Funding After Student Protests

The French government has committed to structural education reforms and significant funding following weeks of student protests. Education Minister Édouard Geffray announced measures including a cap of 28 students per class in general secondary schools, starting with disadvantaged centers in 2027. The state will allocate €4 billion for school infrastructure renovation by 2030 and €1 billion for university buildings, while indexing student grants to inflation Source: La Voz del Interior.

Parcoursup Reform

A central demand was the overhaul of the university admissions platform, Parcoursup. Geffray confirmed it will be replaced progressively: improvements for legibility in the 2027 cycle, followed by a new definitive system in 2028. He noted that immediate abolition was impossible without a ready replacement to avoid chaos for applicants Source: Clarín.

Staffing and Conditions

To address teacher shortages and absenteeism, the government reversed plans to cut 836 teaching posts and added 500 new positions. Additionally, 1,200 teaching roles will be created for technical higher education (BTS) programs. The ministry also authorized hiring substitutes for 920 vacant posts and allocated 90 hours per center for coverage Source: La Voz del Interior. Over 71% of surveyed students cited unbalanced school schedules as a key issue, prompting support for starting classes at 9:00 AM.

Continued Mobilization

Despite these announcements, student unions remain unsatisfied. Nathanaël Combary of Renouveau lycée stated they received "clear announcements," but Louis Létoublon of Les Lycéens! insisted that "not everything is satisfactory yet." Unions have called for further protests on October 31 and November 5, maintaining their struggle until December 3 Source: Clarín. They are also debating the potential elimination of continuous assessment in the penultimate year of secondary school Source: La Voz del Interior.