French school protests resume on smaller scale after autumn break

French high school students resumed protests on Monday after a two-week autumn break, with about 41 schools blockaded nationwide, representing roughly one percent of the country's 3,700 high schools, the Education Ministry told France 24 and Franceinfo.

Blockades were reported in cities including Paris, Marseille, and Rennes, according to Reuters and France 24. In Marseille, students used garbage bins to block school entrances, signaling their intent to continue the movement despite some government concessions.

The protests began in the Paris suburbs in September and have since spread across France. Initially focused on education issues, the movement expanded to address the rising cost of living, attracting trade unionists and activists, as reported by Al Jazeera and France 24.

The government has responded with several measures, including plans to replace the Parcoursup university admissions platform by 2028, cancel education job cuts, add 500 teaching posts, limit class sizes to 28 pupils in first-year high school, and invest 4 billion euros in school renovations, according to Franceinfo.

Education Minister Edouard Geffray described the current blockades as marginal and emphasized that while protests are allowed, blocking school access is illegal. He warned that the school year is at risk for hundreds of thousands of pupils if blockades continue, as reported by Al Jazeera and Franceinfo.