French students protest crumbling schools and demand more teachers and funding

French schoolchildren have taken to the streets after sharing cellphone footage of vermin, burst pipes and inadequate heating in institutions like Lycée Paul Eluard in Saint-Denis and overcrowded classrooms in Pantin where windows remain sealed during 40 °C heatwaves. The demonstrations, now nationwide, underscore a systemic problem: while the central government pays teachers and sets curricula, local municipalities, departments and regions are tasked with maintaining aging buildings, many over 50 years old, and renovation budgets are limited.

Despite a €6.6 billion regional renovation program in Île-de-France, progress is slow and new constructions often suffer damage during protests. The Macron administration, facing criticism over poor PISA results and teacher salary gaps, has promised to hire more than 3,000 supply teachers and to use software to flag the most distressed schools. Education Minister Edouard Geffray presented these measures as the first concrete response to student demands for better facilities, additional staff and greater overall investment.