France Pledges 3,000 Extra Teachers as Student Protests Continue

LONDON — France’s government has pledged to recruit 3,000 additional teachers in a bid to calm a nationwide wave of student protests that have shut schools and blocked major roads across the country. The announcement came on Friday, 9 October 2026, after a surge of demonstrations that saw more than 71,000 students take to the streets on 8 October.

Protests resume after government pledge

Student groups that had called off a planned march on 7 October returned to the streets the following day, blocking traffic on the A6 and A7 highways and disrupting the opening of several secondary schools. The protests were organized by a coalition of student unions that cited teacher shortages, low salaries and high workload as primary grievances. The demonstrations were largely peaceful, but the sheer scale of the mobilization caused significant disruptions to public transport and commerce.

According to coverage by Al Jazeera, the protests resumed after the government’s announcement of the teacher hiring plan, which was described as a “first step” to address the long‑standing shortage. The student unions welcomed the pledge but said it was insufficient without accompanying reforms to teacher pay and working conditions.

Teacher shortage and student grievances

France has faced a chronic shortage of teachers for several years. The Ministry of National Education reported that the country needed an additional 10,000 teachers to meet the demands of a growing student population and to replace retiring staff. The 3,000 teachers announced in the latest plan represent a 30 per cent increase over the current shortfall, but the unions argue that the number falls short of the 10,000 figure cited by the ministry.

Student groups have also highlighted issues of low pay and high workload. Teachers in France earn an average annual salary of about €38,000, which is lower than the average in many European countries. The unions argue that the low wages contribute to the difficulty in recruiting new teachers and to the high turnover rate among existing staff.

Government response and future plans

The French government announced that the new teachers would be recruited through a combination of national and regional hiring campaigns. The plan includes a budget allocation of €1.2 billion, which will cover salaries, training and recruitment costs over the next five years. The ministry said the hiring process would begin in the first quarter of 2027, with the first cohort of teachers expected to start in September 2027.

President Emmanuel Macron said the government was committed to improving the quality of education and to ensuring that students receive adequate support. The announcement was made during a press briefing at the Élysée Palace, where the ministry of education also outlined a broader strategy to increase teacher pay by 5 per cent over the next three years.

While the teacher hiring plan is a concrete step, student unions have called for a comprehensive review of the education system, including increased funding for schools, better working conditions for teachers and reforms to the curriculum. The unions have warned that without broader reforms, the protests could continue to disrupt the academic calendar.

In the days following the announcement, the French government has set up a task force to monitor the implementation of the hiring plan and to engage with student representatives. The task force will report to the Ministry of National Education and will be chaired by the Minister of Education, who will oversee the recruitment process and ensure compliance with the budgetary allocations.

As the protests continue, the French government faces pressure to deliver on its promises quickly. The student unions have scheduled a series of sit‑ins at the Ministry of National Education to demand immediate action. The government’s next steps will be closely watched by educators and policymakers across Europe, where teacher shortages have become a common concern.