Riot Police Clash With Students as France Education Protests Spread
Thousands protest teacher shortages and overcrowding; Nuñez cites 1,747 Friday arrests as unrest widens
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File photo: Lycée Arago in Paris. Photo: besopha, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Budget row and 2027 election flashpoint
France's education budget is set to rise by a below-inflation 1.7% to €65.53 billion, excluding teacher pensions, Reuters reported. Geffray said education remained a priority and linked the below-inflation increase to population decline. A CGT union survey found two-thirds of schools in Seine-Saint-Denis have unfilled teacher posts; the union blamed government cuts of 3,256 teacher positions nationwide in 2026, according to Reuters.
The unrest has become a political flashpoint for President Emmanuel Macron ahead of the 2027 presidential election, as unions backed student demands for better staffing and school conditions.
