France promises reform after weeks of education protests
Government plans to replace Parcoursup admissions platform and reduce class sizes.
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The French government announced a package of measures on Monday after weeks of protests over education and rising living costs. Paris wants, among other things, to replace the Parcoursup university admissions platform and reduce class sizes in disadvantaged schools.
According to the French Ministry of Education, the French ministers for education and higher education presented the measures on Monday. According to the French Ministry of Education, Parcoursup is to make way for a new system from 2028; a far-reaching interim step will come first in 2027. The government says it wants to address pupils’ complaints about the current platform’s selection process and operation.
France also wants to limit the number of pupils in the second year of the lycée, comparable to the upper years of secondary school, to 28 from the 2027–28 school year in half of the most disadvantaged schools. According to the ministry, that limit should apply to all lycées from 2028. For the upper years, the government mainly wants to reduce pressure in the largest classes, according to the ministry.
The package also includes five hundred additional teaching posts in secondary education. The ministry says the number of schools facing the greatest difficulties in replacing absent teachers fell from 114 to 21 before the autumn holiday. According to the ministry, 920 contract staff are also being deployed for temporary replacements, more than half of whom have already been recruited, according to the ministry.
According to AP, the announcements followed talks with representatives of pupils and weeks of demonstrations. The Associated Press said the protests broadened from school policy to the cost of living. Student organisations welcomed some commitments but announced that they would continue taking action. According to AP, new demonstrations are planned for 31 October; trade unions have announced nationwide action for 5 November, according to the news agency.
The government still has to design the new admissions procedure. Legislative changes may also be needed. Whether President Emmanuel Macron’s successor will carry out the final introduction in 2028 has not yet been decided. These are announced measures; the final form of the reform remains uncertain.
For Dutch readers, the scale of the French response is particularly relevant. The measures affect both the transition from secondary school to university and the deployment of staff and public funds. Whether they will end the protests is uncertain: pupils’ initial reactions were mixed and wider social discontent remains.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The French government announced measures on 26 October covering education and young people.
- Parcoursup is to be replaced; the government wants to reduce class sizes in disadvantaged schools.
- Student organisations have announced that protests will continue.
- The funding and precise details of several measures have not yet been finalised.
Left
Arguments The left-wing perspective emphasises that smaller classes, better replacement cover and a fairer admissions system require public investment. The protests are seen as a legitimate response to unequal opportunities and high living costs.
Values Equal access, public services and social solidarity.
Consequences Without sufficient additional staff and funding, the promises may remain symbolic; continuing the protests may be necessary to force implementation.
Centre
Arguments The institutional approach sees the package as a negotiated compromise: the government recognises concrete problems but must reform without disrupting university admissions or the education budget.
Values Feasibility, legal certainty and gradual reform.
Consequences A phased introduction may be manageable for the administration, but trust will remain fragile as long as planning and funding are lacking.
Right
Arguments The right-wing perspective emphasises that educational outcomes also depend on pupils’ and institutions’ discipline, attendance and responsibility. It may fear that new rules and additional staff will not solve structural problems.
Values Responsibility, order, efficiency and measurable results.
Consequences The government must show that additional spending leads to better performance rather than merely temporarily reducing pressure from the protests.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article’s central claims have been confirmed by the French ministry and independent reporting by AP and Reuters. Uncertain elements, such as the final form of Parcoursup and the effect on the protests, are described as uncertain.
- confirmed The French government wants to replace Parcoursup from 2028. — Stated in the official communiqué from the French ministry and confirmed by AP. source
- confirmed Classes in half of the most disadvantaged lycées will have a maximum of 28 pupils from 2027. — Mentioned in the official French government communiqué. source
- confirmed The government is providing five hundred additional teaching posts. — Mentioned by the French Ministry of Education. source
- confirmed Pupils will continue protesting. — AP and Reuters report that student organisations consider the commitments insufficient and have announced further action. source
Editor's note
The French government has officially published the measures. The precise form and funding of the new admissions system have not yet been worked out; protest organisations say their demands have not been fully met.Sources
- Remplacement de la plateforme Parcoursup et plafonnement du nombre d’élèves par classe — Frans ministerie van Onderwijs
- France pledges new university admissions system to quell student anger — AP News
- French student protesters say government offered them deal, but they want more — Reuters via Investing.com
More on this in Dutch media
- RTL Nieuws — „frankrijk onderwijs”
- NOS — „frankrijk onderwijs”
- Het Parool — „frankrijk onderwijs”