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France school protests: PM Lecornu vows action plan as 375 schools shut

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The France school protests resumed on Thursday, 8 October 2026, with authorities saying 375 schools were fully or partially closed, a day after Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu promised to address students’ concerns and ordered ministers to produce an action plan, Al Jazeera reported.

Lecornu’s promise

In a TV address on Wednesday, Lecornu condemned the violence and criticised “political leaders who use this anger to conduct their electoral battles”, after opposition leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon urged protesters to keep marching. He has asked ministers to respond to students’ demands by the end of the month.

Protesters were not convinced. University students and more trade unions joined the movement on Thursday, with a large rally expected in Paris, Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler reported.

Key facts

  • 375 schools fully or partly closed on Thursday; about two dozen burned or destroyed
  • At least 6,600 arrests so far, mostly of minors (Interior Ministry)
  • Movement began at a Paris high school on 21 September
  • Stun grenades have been banned at marches after serious injuries

France school protests: what students want

Students are protesting about teachers who are absent for weeks without replacement, staff shortages and run-down buildings in the country’s lycées, schools for 15 to 18-year-olds, the BBC reported. Other complaints include long school days that run until 6 pm, the mobile phone ban and Parcoursup, the online platform that allocates university places.

Several protesters have been badly hurt, including a teenager who lost a hand to a stun grenade. Police officers and teachers have also been injured, and rights groups accuse security forces of using excessive force. Authorities, in turn, accuse some students of violent acts.

The BBC noted that about 80% of each age group now passes the baccalauréat, which leads to a scramble for popular university courses and anxiety over Parcoursup, which many students see as opaque.

Why it matters

The protests are piling pressure on President Emmanuel Macron’s outgoing, cash-strapped government ahead of elections in April, and the action plan due this month will be a test of whether talks can replace street battles.

Source: Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera video, BBC

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