French Government Announces Education Reforms Amid Student Mobilization

After a month of sustained protests by high school and university students across France, the government has unveiled a series of concrete measures aimed at addressing the core issues raised by the mobilizations. The measures, announced during a joint conference by the Ministers of Education and Higher Education on October 26, 2026, include a significant restructuring of the higher education admission platform, Parcoursup, and a cap on secondary school class sizes.

Philippe Baptiste, Minister of Higher Education, revealed plans for a "strong evolution" of Parcoursup for 2027, followed by a complete replacement slated for 2028. This move aims to alleviate student concerns about access to higher education and improve the admissions process. Amid these reforms, the government also pledged to maintain current teaching positions and add 500 new posts next school year, with Education Minister Edouard Geffray announcing a maximum class size of 28 pupils in second-year high school classes by 2028.

Earlier in the day, student union leaders met with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu at Matignon. While welcoming the government's new initiatives—including a €5 billion investment plan for school renovations, split into €1 billion for universities and €4 billion for secondary schools—they emphasized that their demands were only partially met. They called for continued protests on October 31 and November 5 to push for further reforms. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez acknowledged the likelihood of significant upcoming mobilizations, and President Emmanuel Macron described the next Saturday's protests as "risky."

Meanwhile, France Universités cautioned against conflating the challenges of Parcoursup with broader funding issues, urging not to abolish the platform, which they argue is not responsible for shortages in certain academic fields, especially health.

Balancing ambitious reform plans with fiscal constraints remains a challenge, with France's public debt at 119% of GDP. The education funding and reform measures may be incorporated into ongoing budget discussions as amendments.

This unfolding standoff highlights the government's effort to respond pragmatically to the persistent student unrest while charting a course toward modernizing the French education system over the next two years.