Paris, November 1, 2026 – The Europe Today: Student groups in France have announced plans to resume blockades of high schools from Monday, November 2, as protests against the government continue, with student representatives arguing that recently announced measures fail to adequately address their concerns.
Pierre Sourzat, head of the student group “Lycéens!”, said some high schools would face blockades as students return from a two-week autumn holiday. He indicated that the demonstrations were expected to intensify from Tuesday.
“It will be more significant from Tuesday, but we know that some schools will be blocked as early as tomorrow,” Sourzat told French broadcaster RMC on Sunday, expressing support for students participating in the renewed action.
The protests have emerged amid growing dissatisfaction over deteriorating educational conditions, inequality and the rising cost of living. On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people, including high school and university students, took to the streets across France for a third consecutive weekend of demonstrations.
The French government had announced a series of measures earlier in the week aimed at addressing students’ demands. These included plans to replace the university admissions platform and provide loans for school renovation projects. However, student organizations have dismissed the proposals as insufficient.
Sabrine Kharbach, spokesperson for the Union Etudiante (Student Union), also announced plans for renewed blockades of universities and high schools on Tuesday and Thursday, urging students to participate in further demonstrations.
French President Emmanuel Macron has called for students to return to classrooms peacefully, maintaining that young people’s concerns have been heard by the government.
However, Sourzat rejected the president’s assessment, arguing that the authorities had failed to respond meaningfully to students’ demands.
He also criticized the proposed reform of the university admissions platform, saying it would not resolve the shortage of places in higher education. Similarly, he questioned the government’s plan to reduce class sizes, noting that the measure would initially apply only to 10th-grade classes rather than all year groups.
The renewed student mobilization comes as France faces economic pressures, with limited fiscal room to introduce additional spending measures amid concerns over economic growth and public debt.
The planned blockades are expected to add to the wider wave of demonstrations and labor-related protests across the country in the coming days.
