Secondary school students across France returned to the streets on Tuesday, marking nearly two months of sustained protests. Government concessions have so far failed to halt the movement.
A broad coalition of trade unions and youth organisations has called for nationwide strikes and demonstrations. The action represents the latest escalation in a conflict that has already seen sporadic violence erupt at schools throughout the country.
Two weeks ago, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s administration attempted to defuse the crisis. It pledged to reform Parcoursup, the national online platform for university admissions, starting in 2027, and to replace it entirely by 2028. The government also promised additional funding for school infrastructure and extra resources for the most disadvantaged institutions.
Protesters remain unconvinced. Tensions deteriorated further during a Parcoursup reform meeting at the prime minister’s office in Paris, where most pupil and student groups, together with education unions, walked out over the inclusion of far-right and business representatives.
“We call on everyone who supports the legitimate demands of young people—and of workers—to take to the streets,” said Éloïse Lefebvre-Milon, co-leader of the Union étudiante student union, after exiting the negotiations.
The coalition comprises some of France’s largest labour unions, including the CGT and FO, alongside student and pupil organisations. In a joint statement, the groups declared that the time had come “to step up the mobilisation by continuing to put pressure on the government.”
Building Fresh Momentum for the Mobilisation
Pupil leaders insist they have no intention of backing down. “The balance of power is in our favour, and we must keep going,” said Ryad Rani, president of the Union syndicale lycéenne, a secondary school pupils’ union.
“We must remain mobilised. We are not fighting only for ourselves. We are fighting for teachers and for their working conditions,” Rani added.
Sophie Vénétitay, who leads Snes-FSU, the largest secondary school teachers’ union, said Tuesday’s action would feature “supervised and secure marches” as tensions outside schools continue to rise.
Youth protests have a long track record of pressuring French governments. Former President François Hollande faced mass demonstrations over his labour reforms in 2016. At the time, he privately likened a student movement to toothpaste: “You can get it out of the tube, but you cannot get it back in.”
Violence Erupts at Multiple Secondary Schools
Most demonstrations have remained peaceful, but a series of violent incidents has occurred on the fringes.
On Monday, firework mortars were ignited inside two secondary schools in Seine-et-Marne, east of Paris. The regional council reported that two pupils were injured at one of the schools. At the other, no one was hurt, though education officials said pupils were left “in shock.”
Police arrested five people following disturbances outside schools in Le Havre and Rouen, Normandy, according to France 3 Normandie. Fireworks were also set off outside a school in Angers in western France, while further incidents were reported in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in the north-east, according to Ici.