France should treat student protests as democratic participation

These are shares of consultation contributions, not results from a representative survey. But the range of issues makes one point clear: students are raising concerns about the school day, staffing and the buildings where they learn—not just a single policy dispute.

An online consultation is a start, not a substitute for a place in decision-making. The government should explain which issues it will address, what resources it will devote to them and why it has set those priorities. Students who took the time to submit their views deserve a public account of what follows.

Education Minister Édouard Geffray has said the government is working to strengthen student representation in academic and national bodies, Reuters reported. That commitment should become a continuing role for student representatives, not end with a consultation form.

Public order and accountability both matter

The Education Ministry said 141 of France’s 3,700 high schools were closed Friday, Oct. 9, Euronews reported. A closed school means interrupted instruction, and blockades can keep classmates from learning. The Associated Press reported fires, vandalism, attacks and lost class time in protest-related incidents. Students and staff deserve safe schools, and violence and property damage warrant a lawful response.

That duty does not excuse disproportionate force. Police have used tear gas, batons and blast balls during protests, and authorities have opened 18 internal investigations into alleged police misconduct, Euronews reported. After a teenager lost a hand, France temporarily suspended stun-grenade use at high-school demonstrations while the incident was clarified, the outlet reported.

The Justice Ministry counted 6,877 people placed in police custody, with figures current to Oct. 8 at 5 p.m.; 86% were minors. Custody is not a conviction. The ministry’s stated principle is the right one: legitimate demands should be expressible, while violence and property damage are handled through legal processes.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu wrote on X, as Euronews reported, “The voice of high school students is precious and must be heard.” That principle should guide both the response to protests and the government’s response to the schools’ problems. Investigations into alleged police misconduct and accountability for violent acts must proceed on their own terms; neither can take the place of addressing students’ concerns.

The promised plan must give students a role

Education Minister Édouard Geffray announced about 3,000 substitute teachers, initially aimed at 114 high schools identified as most affected. Prime Minister Lecornu has promised a broader plan by the end of October. Substitute coverage is a practical response to missed classes when teachers are absent, but it does not answer concerns about crowded timetables, classrooms or school buildings.

The government’s draft 2027 budget proposes €90.9 billion for education, a 1.4% increase, while officials have also cited budget constraints, Euronews reported. Those limits make choices necessary; they do not remove the government’s responsibility to explain them. A useful plan should show what the proposed resources will support and how officials will decide which needs come first.

Student union representative Marius Mesnil called the response inadequate and urged another demonstration for Tuesday, Oct. 13, Reuters reported. The government should answer that call with more than a promise of additional staffing and a deadline for a plan.

We recommend that Lecornu’s government publish a costed schedule of school needs by the end of October. It should identify where substitute teachers will be placed and track whether they reduce uncovered classes, set timelines for action on buildings and timetables, and give student representatives an ongoing role in reviewing progress. The prime minister should make that plan public by the deadline he set. Treating protest as democratic participation means listening to the students who raised these problems—and showing them what the government will do about them.