France Student Protests Explained: Rats, Leaking Roofs and Missing Teachers Fuel Nationwide School Revolt

PARIS — A student protest movement that began a month ago in a handful of high schools in Paris' poorest suburbs has grown into one of France's most serious domestic crises. It has shut down schools, drawn riot police into the streets and put fresh pressure on a government already struggling with a deep budget crisis.

Students say they are fed up with crumbling buildings, overcrowded classrooms and chronic teacher shortages, problems they blame on years of underinvestment in public education. The government says it is responding with emergency measures, but has warned that France's strained finances limit how much it can spend.

How the protests began

Students first began boycotting classes on Sept. 21 in deprived areas north of Paris, protesting what they described as unacceptable conditions in their high schools, known in France as lycées.

The movement spread quickly. School blockades and demonstrations broke out in cities including Bordeaux, Rennes, Nantes, Lyon, Lille, Marseille, Strasbourg and Toulouse. By Oct. 2, more than 400 schools had closed as some protests turned violent and riot police clashed with students outside several campuses.

On Oct. 6, as demonstrations intensified, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu suspended high school classes across France for the rest of the week.

"Burning down a high school does not improve the state of high school buildings," Lecornu said as he announced the suspension, condemning violence while pledging to examine repairs to aging campuses.

He also ordered ministers to address students' demands by the end of October and warned that the country's budget crisis would limit the government's options.

Crumbling classrooms

At the heart of the protests are complaints about the physical state of French schools.

Students describe classrooms infested with rats and cockroaches, leaking ceilings, broken furniture and a lack of basic heating and cooling. Some say there are not enough tables and chairs for every student.

The problems were worsened by an intense heat wave that hit France over the summer. Many school buildings lack air conditioning, and students say classrooms become unbearable in extreme temperatures. Others describe cold classrooms in winter because of faulty or inadequate heating.

Missing teachers

Students also point to a chronic shortage of teachers, particularly substitute teachers to cover absences.

When teachers are absent, they often are not replaced, students say, leading to many hours of missed lessons. Some students say they have gone weeks or even months without instruction in core subjects such as French and mathematics, raising concerns about their preparation for key exams.

Teachers' unions have long warned about staffing pressures. Ahead of the current school year, unions protested government plans to cut about 4,000 teaching positions nationwide as part of budget savings.

Students also complain about large class sizes and long school days, which can stretch from early morning into the evening.

Admissions anxiety

The protests have also tapped into broader frustration with France's university admissions system, Parcoursup, which matches students with higher education programs alongside the traditional baccalaureate exam.

Students have criticized what they describe as a lack of transparency in how applications are assessed, and some fear that the reputation of individual high schools can affect their chances. Critics argue that students from rural areas and lower-income suburbs could be at a disadvantage, deepening existing inequalities.

Government response

The government has moved to calm the unrest with emergency measures.

On Oct. 8, Education Minister Édouard Geffray pledged to deploy about 3,000 replacement teachers to schools facing the greatest difficulties.

"Within the next hours, 3,000 teachers will be joining these institutions," Geffray told TF1 television.

However, it later emerged that the teachers were not new hires. Lecornu's office said the measure involved deploying 3,024 substitute teachers who were already employed but had not been assigned to any classes, with priority given to 114 secondary schools facing the most severe problems.

The revelation drew criticism that the shortage was partly the result of poor administrative management rather than a simple lack of staff, and raised questions about why available teachers had not been assigned earlier.

The government has also promised to look at plans to renovate aging school buildings, though critics say the funding discussed falls far short of what is needed to bring schools up to standard.

Budget pressures

The protests come at a difficult moment for President Emmanuel Macron's government, which is trying to bring a large public deficit under control.

The government's proposed 2027 budget aims to find 54 billion euros ($61.3 billion) in savings, and public sector workers have staged nationwide strikes against the cost-cutting plans.

While education remains one of the largest items in France's budget, protesters argue that spending has not translated into adequate conditions in classrooms. They say years of cuts and poor resource management have left schools, especially in disadvantaged areas, struggling.

A wider movement

In recent days, the student protests have merged with wider discontent over living costs and public services.

On Oct. 17, students joined labor unions, Yellow Vest activists and other groups in nationwide demonstrations against rising prices, fuel costs and declining public services. Most protesters marched peacefully, though a small minority attacked buildings, looted shops and clashed with police, who fired tear gas.

What comes next

Lecornu has given his ministers until the end of October to respond to students' demands. Students are calling for smaller classes, enough teachers, better buildings and less exhausting schedules.

With elections due next year and the government already under pressure over its budget, how it handles the student protests could have significant political consequences.

France has a long history of student protests shaping national politics, and the current movement shows few signs of fading without concrete changes.