What’s wrong with schools in France?

Students in France are protesting because they don't have enough teachers and because their school buildings are falling apart. So they've been blocking access to hundreds of schools for four weeks now. Tens of thousands of teenagers have taken to the streets to shout about what's wrong with French schools. The protests started in Cretel, a town in one of mainland France's poorest administrative departments. It spread to the working class suburbs north of Paris. Then it went nationwide and reached elite universities. In the first week of nationwide protests, nine in 10 demonstrations were staged outside the Paris region. In just over a week, the number of schools affected went from 180 to more than 900. Student unions drew up a list of 10 emergency measures. At the top, renovating schools. Next, staff, teachers for every class and nurses. Right now, French state high schools fail to staff nearly 10% of all teaching hours. Between 2018 and 2024, the class hours lost to unreplaced absent teachers in secondary schools almost doubled. French adults see the same problem. Asked what works badly in the schools, 88% put teacher replacement at the top. On paper, the money seems to be there. France spends 24% more on each high school student than the OECD average, more than $16,000 a year. primary school students get 10% less than the OECD average. France also keeps a list of schools in poor areas that benefit from smaller classes and extra resources. But since 2015, high schools haven't been on it. In June 2025, a Senate report spelled out the shortage, but more teachers weren't dispatched. It took three weeks of student blockades to get results. The government is sending 3,000 teachers to more than 500 schools. The 3,000 are recently qualified teachers who hadn't started work yet. The ministry put the cost in the tens of millions of dollars. Next year's budget gives defense $7.2 billion more, up 11%. Schools get $1.4 billion more, a 1.9% hike. The blockades have come at a price on both sides. Nearly 8,000 people have been detained, and most of them are minors. A 15-year-old lost a hand to a police stun grenade. More than 100 school staff have been injured. So far, the damage comes to nearly $45 million. French Prime Minister Sebastien Le Cornu promises a full plan by the end of October. In April, France elects a new president. Most of the protest marchers are between 15 and 18. Many of them will still be too young to vote next year, but their parents will probably have something to say about all this.