High school and university students in France resumed their protest movements at the beginning of November 2026, following the end of the autumn break, amid growing discontent with the commitments and proposals made by Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne's government, which protesters described as insufficient to meet their demands for improving educational conditions and addressing rising living costs.
Data from the French Ministry of Education indicated the closure of between 41 and 48 high schools, equivalent to about 1 to 1.3% of the total number of high schools in the country, which totals around 3,700 schools. The closures were concentrated in the capital Paris and in the cities of Marseille, Lyon, and Rennes.
These movements are an extension of a wave of protests that began in mid-September and escalated during October, marked by confrontations and violent incidents that resulted in injuries among police officers, students, and staff, as well as material damage, vandalism, and arson at several educational institutions.
The French Ministry of Education had resorted, at the beginning of October, to temporarily closing between 400 and 500 high schools as a precautionary measure due to the unrest and damage inflicted on educational buildings.
While French authorities describe the current movements as having limited impact compared to previous weeks, student and labor unions announced their intention to escalate protests, coinciding with a nationwide strike affecting transportation, health, and public services, with widespread participation from workers across the country.