Thursday briefing: Why young people are taking to the streets across France

Hundreds of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets across France in an expanding youth-led movement challenging the condition of the country's secondary education system. The widespread demonstrations have brought high school students, teachers, and adult supporters together to decry dilapidated school facilities, persistent staff shortages, and systemic inequality.

The unrest began on September 17 at Lycée Saint-Exupéry in Créteil, situated southwest of Paris. Returning pupils found they were unable to attend normal classes due to extensive staff absences, prompting teenagers between the ages of 15 and 18 to establish a blockade at the school. While the education ministry intervened to fill the immediate vacancies, the dispute quickly catalyzed broader discontent over crumbling buildings, swollen class sizes, and lengthy academic days.

Over subsequent weeks, the demonstrations extended to hundreds of schools nationwide. Unlike historical student protests coordinated by established unions, this wave has been largely self-organized by teenagers without central leadership or formal spokespeople, according to reporting by The Guardian. The movement has also crossed socioeconomic divides. Pupils from prestigious, well-funded urban schools have erected barricades in solidarity with peers in disadvantaged suburbs, frequently sharing social media footage highlighting disrepair, leaking facilities, and pest infestations in poorer districts.

France spends roughly 28 percent more on its high schools than the average member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. However, analysts note that the country must maintain an unusually large volume of facilities and funds costly vocational programs. Concurrently, public schools face significant recruitment crises driven by weak salary progression, leaving schools struggling to fill teaching posts, particularly in deprived areas. Crucial support positions, such as nurses and assistants for students with special needs, face similar shortfalls, contributing to roughly a tenth of scheduled class hours going untaught each year.

The response from authorities has drawn fierce criticism. France's prime minister acknowledged the students' concerns as legitimate, yet critics argue the administration initially ignored the demonstrations amid budget debates and energy price pressures before resorting to heavy-handed policing.

Demonstrators have condemned the state's security tactics, using protest banners to highlight alleged excessive force against teenagers. At least 18 inquiries into suspected police brutality are underway following severe injuries linked to crowd-control weapons, including an incident in which a 15-year-old protester suffered the loss of a hand. Despite the crackdown, youth organizers continue to call for strikes and demonstrations, pointing to deep-seated frustrations over the erosion of basic public services.