Thousands of high school students are on the streets in France these days. School gates are being closed, dustbins are being set on fire and there are clashes with the police in many places. Police have used tear gas and rubber bullets at some places. The movement has now become so large that more than 5,000 people have been arrested since Monday. About 1,747 people were arrested on Friday alone. Around 735 educational institutions were affected on Friday. Earlier on Thursday, the number had reached over 1,000 in high schools. That is, within a few days, a local level movement became a national crisis. The student organizations have now announced to hold protests across the country on October 6.

Why did the students take to the streets?

The biggest cause of this movement is not a single issue. The grievances of the students are related to the school system that has been going on for a long time. The biggest problem is the shortage of teachers. Many schools do not have teachers, or if they are absent for a long time, replacement teachers are not available. Which has a direct impact on the education of students. Some students said classes in important subjects had to be cancelled.

Another major problem is overcrowded classrooms and poor buildings. Many schools are running classes of 30 to 35 students. In some places there is water problem while in other places there are complaints of heat and dilapidated buildings. Students also have problems with long and stressful studies. Some schools have an 8 am to 6 pm schedule.

🚨 Breaking – France 🇫🇷

Occupancy of the Paris Stock Exchange by protesters.

The French are not stopping – this is the beginning of a worldwide revolution.

— Mel Gerard Gibson🇺🇲 (@MelGerardGop7) October 3, 2026

Where did the movement start?

The entire movement began on September 17 at the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry High School in Crétil, near Paris. There teachers were on strike against understaffing and lack of resources. Students also came out in support of him. Interestingly, the administration later agreed to provide additional staff in the school from which the movement started. It was decided to provide a nurse in the school along with a deputy principal and other staff and studies resumed there. That is, although some demands were met at the local level, the movement spread across the country.

Why are students from poorer areas more angry?

This movement is not just about school facilities. Educational inequality is also a big issue behind it. Students in poor neighborhoods around Paris, particularly Seine-Saint-Denis, say they have less access to resources than in better schools in the capital. According to a report, many schools in the area have vacant teaching posts and students are facing shortage of essential facilities like teachers, nurses and social workers.

How much power did TikTok give to the movement?

Social media has played a major role in the rapid spread of this movement. Students are sharing information about the performance through TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and WhatsApp. Videos of clashes with police, tear gas, arson and blocking of schools are quickly going viral. Due to which the students get immediate information about the events and the movement reaches other cities.

Why has the student movement now become a political battle?

The movement has become a major political challenge for the government just months before the presidential elections in France. The government and right-wing leaders have accused the leftist party La France Insomis (LFI) of fueling the movement. The LFI has rejected this. Jean-Luc Mélenchon has supported the student demonstration, although he has appealed for a peaceful demonstration.

Questions were also raised on the action of the police

Demonstrators are accused of throwing objects at police, setting fires and closing schools. Police are accused of using tear gas, rubber bullets and batons. Police said that more than 600 policemen have been injured till Saturday. According to the Education Minister, 65 education staff, including 40 school heads, have been injured. There have also been reports of a 16-year-old student suffering serious eye injuries.

Paris police chief Patrice Faure has said that the movement is no longer under the control of those who started it. He has appealed to the students and parents to demonstrate peacefully. Security agencies fear that radical groups may escalate the violence in the October 6 demonstration.

Is this just today’s crisis?

No. The problem of school funding and inequality is old in France. There was also a large movement of high school students in the 1990s, after which funding for education was increased. But per student spending remained almost constant in subsequent years. According to data from the French Ministry of Education, the average expenditure on a secondary level student in 2024 was 11,660 euros, while in 2010 it was around 11,910 euros. Meanwhile, the issue of reducing the posts of 3,256 teachers across the country in 2026 was also raised.

In the 2027 budget, spending on education is proposed to increase by 1.7% to 65.53 billion euros. But this increase is less than the rate of inflation. The government says that the number of students is falling, so the expenditure has not increased much. The agitators say that this money is not enough considering the current problems of the schools.

So, this movement of students in France is not just a complaint of some schools. This raises the big question of whether the French education system is capable of providing equal opportunities to all students. And if not, what concrete steps will the government take apart from police action to quell the students’ anger?