French High Schools Erupt: Students Protest Dilapidated Schools Amid Budget Cuts

Tens of thousands of high school students across France, led by peers in Paris' poorer suburbs like 17-year-old Maisa from Lycee Le Corbusier in Aubervilliers, have ignited a nationwide protest movement this week. They are furious over crumbling school buildings, packed classrooms, and severe teacher shortages, with police responding to the widespread demonstrations with tear gas and rubber bullets, leading to over 5,000 arrests and numerous injuries. These protests have quickly become a major political headache for Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's government, especially coming right after the announcement of deeply unpopular spending cuts in the 2027 French budget, which allocates a below-inflation 1.7% increase for education. Students from deprived areas like Seine-Saint-Denis argue these conditions are 'classist and racist,' highlighting how public service shortcomings disproportionately hit marginalized communities. The situation echoes large-scale student movements from the 1990s, when funding stagnated despite growing demands on schools, further strained by systems like Parcoursup. With two-thirds of high schools in Seine-Saint-Denis having unfilled teacher positions, the CGT labour union has joined the students, calling for a national education strike. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez has condemned the 'unacceptable violence' but the government faces immense pressure to address the structural issues in education and the broader implications of its austerity measures. Observers are watching closely to see if this student-led uprising can force a significant shift in government policy amidst a sensitive political climate ahead of next year's elections.