France’s government has announced sweeping education reforms, including plans to replace its national university admissions platform by 2028, in an effort to ease tensions after weeks of student protests and riots over education funding and rising living costs.
Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste said on Monday that the existing admissions system would undergo substantial changes next year before being replaced entirely in 2028.
The government has also pledged up to €4 billion (US$4.5 billion) in loans for school renovations, smaller classes, additional teaching positions and higher student grants.
While the concessions address several education-related grievances, the protest movement has expanded to include workers demanding relief from rising living costs, making it more difficult for the government to restore calm.
Violent protests leave thousands arrested
The announcement followed widespread unrest on October 17, when demonstrations over school funding and living costs escalated into rioting, looting and clashes with police.
Protesters set fires, looted shops and attacked public buildings. In Marseille, demonstrators briefly stormed City Hall, while a fire at Limoges’ 19th-century town hall destroyed its roof and clock tower.
Around 2,400 people were arrested in connection with the demonstrations, although hundreds of thousands also took part in peaceful marches.
Two high school student groups welcomed some of the government’s concessions but insisted that protests should continue.
“We have managed to address some of the students’ demands,” said Nathanaël Combary of the Renouveau Lycéen student group after meeting Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu on Monday.
However, he stressed that only some demands had been addressed.
Clément Vieillot of the Mouvement Cachan 94 student group was more critical, saying the government had offered too little compared with what students wanted.
He pointed to the gap between students’ demand for 250,000 additional university places and the government’s promise of just 15,000 new places in higher education.
Further demonstrations are planned.
Parcoursup faces major changes
The centrepiece of the reforms is Parcoursup, France’s national platform for university and higher education applications.
A record 1.05 million people applied through the system this year, according to the Higher Education Ministry.
Students have criticised the platform over unclear admission criteria and unequal access to their preferred courses.
For the 2027 admissions round, institutions will have to publish more detailed selection criteria. Applicants will also receive explanatory information alongside rejection decisions, while institutions must provide reasons for their decisions when requested.
A committee comprising students and teachers is expected to produce initial recommendations for a replacement system by the end of November. The government said it would introduce legislation if necessary to implement the changes.
However, the full replacement is not expected until 2028, meaning the next president will inherit responsibility for delivering the new system.
President Emmanuel Macron cannot seek a third consecutive term in 2027. The first round of presidential voting is scheduled for April 18, followed by a runoff on May 2.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party has sought to capitalise on the unrest by presenting itself as a defender of law and order and urging voters to channel their anger into support for her presidential bid.
Government promises more university places and funding
Beyond the admissions overhaul, the government has pledged 15,000 additional higher education places across 2027 and 2028, primarily in vocational and technical programmes.
Student grants will also be increased in line with inflation from the start of the 2027 academic year.
To improve learning conditions, the government plans to limit class sizes in selected first-year high school classes to 28 students from 2027, beginning with schools in disadvantaged areas.
It has also promised to cancel planned cuts to secondary school teaching positions and create 500 additional jobs.
The funding package includes up to €4 billion in low-interest loans for regional authorities to renovate schools through 2030. A separate €1 billion state-funded programme will support university renovations through 2029.
The commitments come as France grapples with record poverty and public debt, while students and teachers demand better-resourced schools, particularly in poorer communities.
Protests continue despite government concessions
Violence eased during another round of nationwide demonstrations on Saturday, although turnout remained substantial.
Authorities estimated that 410,000 people participated, while organisers put the figure at nearly 800,000.
Around 70,000 police officers and gendarmes were deployed across the country to prevent a repeat of the previous weekend’s destruction.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 1,435 people had been arrested nationwide in connection with the latest protests.
Earlier on Monday, Macron promised “concrete measures” to address students’ concerns during a visit to Marseille.
“I have asked the government to address the legitimate demands at the root of this protest movement,” he said.
The president and his centrist government have faced mounting criticism over their handling of student grievances since high school blockades began in mid-September.
The protests have also triggered scrutiny of police crowd-control weapons, which have been blamed for causing life-changing injuries to some teenagers.
Although the latest concessions mark a significant response to demands for education reform, the government continues to face pressure over living costs, public services and the wider economic concerns driving the demonstrations.
