Trash bins and construction materials were piled in front of the Jean-Macé high school's gate from 6 AM to block the establishment. The mobilization, described as peaceful by students, aims to protest against the dilapidated state of the buildings, the shortage of teachers, and overloaded schedules.
Student demands include the degradation of facilities, citing issues like holes in walls, non-functional toilets, and un-air-conditioned classrooms. Noise from the nearby RER made it impossible to open windows during hot weather.
The shortage of personnel is another major concern, particularly the lack of available nurses and the failure to replace absent teachers. Teachers, members of the CGT Education 94 union, were present to support the students and call for increased funding for public education.
Similar protests took place at Camille-Claudel and Adolphe-Cherioux high schools. Students recounted past incidents, such as an injured classmate being unable to receive care due to the absence of a nurse, and physics-chemistry classes not being taught since the start of the term due to a lack of a teacher.
Overloaded schedules with "gaps" during the day, caused by teacher absences and non-replacements, force students to wait for long hours, sometimes at the nearby Lidl, if they live far away.
The Parcoursup platform and the lack of information regarding orientation are also sources of concern. A teacher reportedly stated that in vocational tracks, a minimum average of 15 was necessary to be taken seriously on the platform.
A general climate of discouragement prevails, with some students feeling stigmatized and neglected, questioning the point of coming to study under such conditions.
Despite an investment of 99 million euros for the renovation and expansion of the institutions, defects have already been noted, including poor insulation in the new buildings inaugurated at the start of the school year.
The regional president, Valérie Pécrésse, visited the site to speak with the students. The mayor and his deputy for Youth, Mady Sissoko, also met with students at the three affected schools.
The mobilization is expected to intensify on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, with a call for a national demonstration and mass blockades of high schools and universities, supported by teacher strike days.
