France's School Protests: What the European Comparisons Show, and What They Miss

Student France paints a picture of a nation in turmoil. Mass protests, clashes, tear gas, burning cars. The fine line between protest and riot. Behind the unrest lies a deep-seated fear. France's education system is crumbling, failing a generation facing a bleak future. That's the view from pupils and students on the streets. So, France's school protests, a system falling behind Europe?

Protests, strikes, rallies. To those looking in, it might seem that France is back to one of its annual pastimes. But weeks of unrest have taken on a new dimension, rattling the government. Student unions have condemned the violence. Schools set alight, smashed bus stops, masked protesters attacking police with projectiles and fireworks, with around 700 officers injured. But police tactics have also faced accusations of brutality. One pupil lost an eye, another lost a hand to a stun grenade.

France's police watchdog has launched about a score of investigations so far. There have also been around 7,000 arrests, mostly minors. Yet behind the chaos lies a serious concern, one that has drawn wider support and brought hundreds of thousands back onto the streets this week.

Whether in Paris, Rennes, or Marseille, the divisions are deepening. In response, France's Minister of Education, Édouard Geffray, has promised to recruit more than 3,000 supply teachers as a short-term measure. But the attempt to appease has failed. Students now want to meet the PM. Instead, they've been offered an online forum to lodge their grievances.

But the demonstrators are pushing for more, more teaching staff, smaller class sizes, shorter school days, and better facilities. But the government says there's no money and plans to slash the 2027 public spending budget by 54 billion euros. For these students, such cuts during the crisis are simply unthinkable.

But the outrage goes beyond the school gates. Admission procedures for higher education via the portal known as Parcoursup are also a point of contention. Many find the process too complex and lacking in transparency.

The movement has now spread to other countries, including Spain, Italy, and Belgium. Here, in the French-speaking part of the country, pupils are protesting against the government's austerity measures. They, too, are calling for better learning conditions, shorter school hours, and more fit-for-purpose school buildings.

One promise of state schooling is that it should open doors for all, irrespective of backgrounds. By design, education is meant to reward merit, offer opportunity, and allow everyone the chance to succeed through equal access. But today, that very idea of égalité, enshrined in France's education system since the revolution, often falls short. According to PISA data, which measures student performance across OECD countries, France offers something of a case study and a lesson in inequality. It has one of the widest education gaps. In science, pupils from the most advantaged 25% of families are several years ahead of those from the least advantaged.

A working-class neighborhood, a school in the city outskirts. It's a reality that Jirel knows well. He grew up in Seine-Saint-Denis, the poorest department in mainland France. He dreams of a life elsewhere, a dream his mother thinks he can't achieve for someone of his social background. Jirel wants to become an opera singer.

Libera me, set me free. Words that echo the demands of his hyper-connected generation. For Jirel, following the protest on social media has also fostered a sense of solidarity.

Jirel's mother works in a bank. She believes today's young people are dealing with trauma that previous generations have never experienced.

With the range of demands, many pupils also feel left behind because of lessons being cancelled, notably in disadvantaged neighborhoods. With the minister's plans to plug teacher shortage gaps, just how attractive is the profession in France today?

A quick salary comparison for newly qualified teachers working with lower secondary pupils aged roughly 11 to 16: the European education network Eurydice has compared starting salaries adjusted for purchasing power. On this basis, France ranks ninth in the overall comparison at around 33,000 euros. In fact, that's well behind Luxembourg at 62,000 and Germany at 61,000, with Spain also ahead on 43,000. But France is above Italy and Poland, with Slovakia and Greece with the poorest grades.

Admittedly, salaries alone don't tell the whole story. Working conditions and hours also play a part in how attractive the profession is. Across Europe, schools are struggling to find enough teachers, and how much they're paid doesn't seem to make much difference. The scale of the problem varies depending on the region and the subject. The biggest gaps are in maths and the sciences, followed by foreign languages and native language literacy.

According to OECD data, one in four 15-year-olds attends a school where the principal says teacher absences are hindering pupils' progress right throughout their schooling.

And here's the picture. Belgium and Germany are particularly badly affected. France sits somewhere in the middle. Spain fares much better in the overall ranking, but coming out on top is Lithuania.

So, how much do European countries spend on education? One clear pattern has emerged. The older the students, the bigger the budget. OECD studies also show that for secondary education, the countries with available data spend an average of 13,000 US dollars per head, but the differences between countries are striking. While Luxembourg spends nearly 32,000 US dollars per pupil, the figure is almost five times lower in Greece. Germany, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom fall somewhere in the middle.

Now, what about class size? Smaller classes often mean more individual attention for pupils and a calmer atmosphere for learning. In the first few years of secondary education, Poland and Latvia have the smallest classes on average. There are greater class sizes in Germany, the UK, and in Spain, but the biggest classes are to be found in France's middle schools, or collèges. And the further students move up through the system, the more pronounced this trend becomes.

All in all, France doesn't exactly come out with the top marks across the board, but nor is it a copybook example of how not to run an education system. This is why many sociologists argue that the anger runs much deeper, and goes far beyond what the bare figures can tell us.

With Swedish activist Greta Thunberg joining demonstrations in France this week, it's clear that these concerns go well beyond its borders, and are part of a wider movement. But back to education itself. Comparing school systems is no easy task. Take Italy, where pupils' results can differ markedly between north and south. So, even within a single country, national averages don't always tell the whole story.

Still, according to some observers, there's one country just a stone's throw from France that's bucked the global trend of declining educational performance.

Conversely, neighboring Wales and Scotland, with their own education systems, haven't fared so well. But, as we've said already, comparisons can hide certain realities. So, is France's education system in need of a quick fix or a complete overhaul? Or does this movement point to something more profound than its immediate demands might suggest?

For me and the team here in Strasbourg, until next time, ciao, adieu, hasta, adios, and bye for now.