France’s government announced a €5 billion education reform package on Monday after weeks of nationwide student protests, including violent clashes and mass arrests.

The plan includes €1 billion for university renovations, up to €4 billion in low-interest loans for local authorities to repair school buildings, 15,000 additional university places, increased scholarships, and smaller class sizes. Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste also pledged to replace the controversial *Parcoursup* university admissions platform by 2028, with interim changes next year .

Protests erupted in mid-September over overcrowded classrooms, unreplaced teacher absences, and dilapidated school infrastructure. Students and teachers, joined by trade unions, expanded demands to oppose broader budget cuts, including a salary freeze for civil servants. On Saturday, 410,000 people demonstrated nationwide, with 110,000 in Paris alone, according to the Interior Ministry .

Violence escalated on 17 October, with arson attacks on buildings, looting, and clashes with police in multiple cities. In Limoges, protesters set fire to the 19th-century town hall, collapsing its roof and clock tower. Authorities reported 2,400 arrests since the unrest began, including 1,435 over the weekend .

Student leaders dismissed the reforms as insufficient. Clément Vieillot of the *Mouvement Cachan 94* said protesters had received “crumbs” compared to their demands. President Emmanuel Macron met student representatives on Friday but failed to defuse tensions, prompting calls for further mobilisation .

Finance Minister Roland Lescure insisted the government could address the crisis without widening the budget deficit, proposing “creative solutions” instead of new spending .