Geffray: Schools 'not fit' as students keep barricading after new loan

French student unions ordered pupils to keep barricading schools and joining street protests on Monday, rejecting a new government package aimed at resolving the ongoing educational crisis. The decision came shortly after the government detailed specific reforms to address long-standing complaints about school conditions and university admissions.

Education Minister Édouard Geffray announced a €4bn loan to regional authorities to repair school buildings. He described some institutions as “not fit” for teaching due to issues such as collapsing ceilings, mould, broken toilets, and windows that did not shut. The loan is the central financial component of the government’s response to what has become the largest youth protest movement in years.

To address overcrowding, Geffray stated that class sizes for 15-year-olds in the first year of high school would be capped at 28 students in the 50% of schools located in the lowest-income areas. This cap will expand to all high schools next year. The government also plans to create additional teaching posts and review the French baccalaureate system.

Changes to the university application platform, Parcoursup, are scheduled to begin in 2027, with a complete replacement of the system in 2028. Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste said 15,000 extra student places would be created in higher education, with a focus on vocational courses. Parliament will debate these issues on Wednesday.

Pierre Sourzat of the student union Les Lycéens told France Info television that the group is engaged in a power struggle and needs to maintain pressure. “We want measures, not half measures,” he said. Louis Letoublon, who met with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, noted that the government appears fearful and is listening, but emphasized that not all demands were met. “We’ll go on for as long as it takes,” Letoublon said.

The protests have marked a tense six months ahead of the presidential election, with Emmanuel Macron scheduled to step down next spring. Marine Le Pen is currently leading the polls. Macron described the next day of demonstrations on 31 October as a “day of risk” and said the country’s state of turmoil is “not normal.” Authorities have admitted to security failures that contributed to the clashes on 17 October, which saw looting and vandalism. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported that eleven suspects face charges after ultra-right groups targeted protesters in cities like Nice and Montpellier.