On Tuesday, France witnessed the closure of dozens of secondary schools and universities by protesting students, as part of an escalation aimed at putting pressure on the government regarding amending the educational system, ahead of an expected general strike on Thursday. The protesters are demanding the renovation of schools, reducing the number of students in classes, and creating more educational opportunities in universities, at a time when the government is facing pressure amid limited financial spending margin to contain the crisis.

Published on: 03/11/2026 - 16:25 Last updated: 03/11/2026 - 17:18

On Tuesday, high school and university students in France resumed their protest campaign by closing dozens of high schools and universities, as part of continuing pressure on the government to amend the educational system, while unions are preparing to carry out a general strike on Thursday.

The protesters are demanding the restoration of dilapidated schools, reducing the number of students in classes, and creating more educational opportunities at universities.

The authorities said on Tuesday that the closure affected 48 out of 3,700 secondary schools, amid strict security measures, in several French regions, including Paris, Rennes, and Lyon.

The Students' Union (USL) said the closure affected 500 institutions, while officials reported that 51 out of 184 higher education institutions witnessed unrest.

Read also: France: More than 770 people were arrested during Saturday’s protests and an investigation opened into an “attempted murder”

For weeks, France witnessed demonstrations organized by high school students to protest the deteriorating educational conditions and the university guidance system, before widespread protests against the high cost of living began in parallel.

On Monday, the government announced a series of measures in response to the demands of the demonstrators, including providing loans to renovate schools.

President Emmanuel Macron had called for the resumption of studies calmly, considering that "the youth have been listened to."

With the European Union's second-largest economy on the verge of recession, and under pressure to curb public debt, the government has little scope to calm protesting students by increasing spending.

France 24/AFP

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