France: Students and Teachers Call for New Strike and Demonstrations

Students Demand Reform Concessions

Students, high school pupils, and teachers across France faced a fresh day of strikes and demonstrations as discussions with the executive branch remained in an impasse nearly two months into the ongoing protest movement.

Discussions at Matignon concerning the Parcoursup admissions reform ended without an agreement. Following that meeting, Éloïse Lefebvre-Milon, co-general secretary of the Union étudiante, urged supporters to join the demonstrations, saying: On appelle toutes celles et ceux qui soutiennent les revendications légitimes de la jeunesse, mais aussi celles des travailleurs et des travailleuses, à être dans la rue demain.

Pressure on Government

An inter-union coalition comprising the CGT, FSU, FO, Solidaires, Union syndicale lycéenne, Unef, Union étudiante, Fage, and FSE called for the renewed action. Signatories argued in a joint statement that the moment had arrived to amplify the mobilization and keep the government under pressure.

The previous major mobilization on November 5 drew between 575,000 participants according to authorities and 1.6 million demonstrators nationwide. Organizers acknowledged that Tuesday’s turnout would likely fall below that peak. The Ministry reported that approximately 16 percent of teachers joined the strike on November 5.

Ryad Rani, president of the Union syndicale lycéenne, assessed the ongoing strategy after meeting with the Prime Minister. Le rapport de force est de notre côté, il faut continuer. Je ne dis pas qu’on a des victoires, mais je dis qu’on tient le bon bout, he stated. Rani also emphasized solidarity with educators regarding working conditions.

Demonstration Routes

Marches were scheduled in most major French cities. In Paris, a procession was set to depart at 14:00 from the Pantheon toward Place d’Italie. Interfac Île-de-France redirected its participants to join this specific march after authorities prohibited its initial plan to start at Bastille.

Sophie Vénétitay, general secretary of the Snes-FSU secondary education union, described the scope of the actions to AFP, noting that protests aimed to provide a secure framework for youth mobilization as tensions rose outside high schools.

Broader Public Sector Context

The education sector protests form part of a wider wave of public sector unrest. A union coalition announced plans for a separate strike on November 17 to demand higher wages, while the CGT urged employees, retirees, and young people to join the broader movement.

Meanwhile, the government previously outlined plans to progressively transform Parcoursup starting in 2027 before replacing it entirely in 2028, alongside promised investments in school infrastructure and additional resources for disadvantaged institutions.