Rats in the toilets, leaky ceilings and broken heating systems. Video clips filmed by Franson's students on their mobile phones are currently spreading on social media. It documents the dilapidated infrastructure in many of the country's educational institutions.
At the Lycée Paul Éluard school in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, one of the hotbeds of the protest movement, students report the presence of insects in the building and frequent damage caused by water leaks. In the neighboring town of Banten, students complain of windows that cannot be opened even at temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius in the summer.
The footage spread on social media has become symbols of the school protests sweeping the country, the end of which does not seem to be in sight yet. Dissatisfaction is not limited to dilapidated school buildings. In their demonstrations, young people also complain about overcrowded classrooms and a high rate of class cancellations.
Central government problem
While France invests huge amounts of money in its educational system, the spending rate is 6.7 percent of GDP, which is a high rate compared to other European countries. Perhaps the lack of reflection of these investments in improving learning conditions is due to the distribution of powers.
The central government, run from Paris, primarily pays teachers' salaries and sets the curriculum for all types of schools nationwide. In return, municipalities are responsible for maintaining primary school buildings, while provinces are responsible for maintaining middle schools (first secondary stage) and regions are responsible for maintaining secondary schools (second secondary stage).
The financial capabilities of local authorities vary depending on the region and they are forced to plan renovation projects on their own. Therefore improvements often progress slowly. In addition, more than two-thirds of the budget is allocated to cover staff costs and pension payments, leaving room for investments limited.
Dilapidated infrastructure
More than 80 percent of primary school buildings in France are over 50 years old and it is estimated that between 10 and 20 percent of all school buildings are in urgent need of repairs. Political parties are aware of this problem in many cases. The Ile-de-France capital region alone has approved a restoration and expansion program worth 6.6 billion euros for the period from 2017 to 2027.
According to regional government data, two-thirds of secondary school students are now enrolled in new or renovated schools. But even after removing mold and restoring roofs, effective protection from summer heat is still rare. Added to this is a bitter fact: school buildings that were either reconstructed only a few years ago at great expense or recently renovated were damaged during the recent riots.
Macron wanted to take corrective measures
There is also an imbalance in current educational expenditures. While France allocates relatively large amounts of money to the secondary stage, Paris invests, according to calculations by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an amount less than the average in industrialized countries per pupil in the primary stage. Education researchers point out that the foundations on which future school success is built are laid during these very years.
Governments under President Emmanuel Macron have tried to take corrective measures. Since 2017, class sizes in the first years of primary school have been halved in socially disadvantaged areas and around 16,000 additional teacher positions have been created for this purpose.
The shortcomings are getting worse
The latest PISA results released in September 2026 show how serious the current problems in the education system are. In mathematics, more than a third of 15-year-old students have not reached the basic proficiency level.
Macron's reforms to the upper secondary level are also under criticism. The aim of canceling the previous specializations in favor of specialized subjects that could be chosen individually was to give students more freedom. However, the wide variety of subject groups complicates the process of organizing the study schedule. Teenagers complain about the extra free hours and longer school days.
But the problems also extend to universities. A lecture at a Paris university tells of a 50-student seminar where the students had to bring chairs from adjacent rooms or sit on the floor. The administration is standing idly by so far.
The problem of canceling classes
Compared to other EU countries, French students take a large number of classes each academic year. On paper. In reality, the Court of Accounts concluded that the percentage of canceled classes in public middle schools reached 9 percent in the 2023/24 academic year. Only about 12 percent of last-minute canceled classes are made up by other teachers, according to a study conducted in the 2024/25 school year.
The low salaries of French teachers compared to neighboring countries is another problem. According to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, French teachers in middle schools after 15 years of service receive only approximately half of what their German counterparts receive.
The disappointing promise of equality
France is proud of its republican educational model. This model is supposed to provide equal opportunities for all children regardless of their origins. But in fact, educational success in France today depends more than average on the social background of the parents. This is also evident in the fact that children from the poorest families are much more affected by the suspension of lessons.
The government of Prime Minister Sebastian Lecorno, meanwhile, has responded to the protests. Education Minister Edouard Geoffray is holding talks with student representatives and intends to submit the first decisions by the end of October. But the government's financial flexibility is limited in light of the fragile financial situation. It is true that the draft budget for 2027 allocates about 1.2 billion additional euros to the Ministry of Education, but at the same time teacher positions are scheduled to be eliminated under the pretext of a decrease in student numbers.
Protests against the backdrop of the presidential elections
Videos spreading on social media have long ceased to be limited to dilapidated school buildings. Rather, demonstrations can be seen in which Palestinian flags and political slogans are raised that have nothing to do with education policy. Other footage shows burning barricades and clashes with police.
The far-left France Unsubdued (LFI) party in particular is seeking to ingratiate itself with the protest movement. His deputies appear at school closings and post videos about it. The government accuses the Unsubjugated France party of deliberately exploiting the anger of young people, which the party denies. Half a year before the French presidential elections, the protests against the long-standing educational crisis turned into a power struggle between political parties.
Prepared in Arabic by: M.A.M
