French education unions have called for escalated protests against planned teacher job cuts, announcing a week of action culminating in a national strike on March 31st. The inter-union alliance – encompassing the FSU, Unsa, CFDT, CGT, and SUD – condemned the government’s budgetary decisions, citing job losses and a freeze on salary increases as detrimental to the public education system.
The unions argue that the cuts will exacerbate existing problems within schools, including larger class sizes, reduced course offerings, and overwhelmed administrative staff. They specifically highlighted concerns about the secondary education sector, where they say increased class sizes and limited resources are already impacting the quality of education.
Anticipating the release of school maps following recent municipal elections, the unions predict “thousands” of class closures in primary schools. They characterize the 2026 budget as a continuation of deteriorating working conditions and wage stagnation for teachers.
The planned cuts amount to 4,000 teaching positions across public and private institutions, with 1,891 slated for elimination in public primary schools and 1,365 in secondary schools.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray justified the cuts in January, citing a “vertiginous demographic decline” in the student population. Official figures from the Ministry of National Education’s statistical department show a 1.7% decrease in student numbers between 2024 and 2025, representing a loss of 106,900 students.
However, the unions contend that the demographic shift should be viewed as an opportunity to reduce class sizes, rather than as justification for staff reductions. They argue that smaller classes would improve the learning environment and allow teachers to provide more individualized attention to students.
Prior to the announcement of the week of action, protests had already begun across France. In mid-February, hundreds demonstrated in Paris, and a strike by teachers in the Île-de-France region affected 6.16% of educators. A similar protest took place in Bordeaux on March 11th, with teachers and parents gathering outside the rectorate.
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