Students blocked high school entrances in Marseille on Monday, demanding smaller classes and greater investment in public education after weeks of protests over learning conditions.
Footage shows students marching, chanting and dancing outside blocked Lycee Montgrand, with a banner reading, ‘The united people will never be defeated’. Footage from outside other schools shows smaller crowds, while some remained unblocked.
The protests centre on overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, deteriorating buildings and access to higher education. Student organisations have demanded €10 billion in additional investment in education and higher education, alongside the abolition of Parcoursup, France’s university admissions platform.
The government announced concessions on October 26, but student organisations called them insufficient and urged further mobilisation. Education Minister Edouard Geffray has pressed for lessons to resume, warning that prolonged disruption threatens students’ preparation for their final examinations.
In Marseille, blockades continued at several schools last week, with local reporting describing confusion over access to establishments that officially remained open.
The government’s announced measures include capping classes at 28 pupils in the first year of upper secondary school, creating 15,000 additional higher education places and replacing Parcoursup by 2028.
Source: Viory
