At the beginning of the 2026–2027 academic year, more than half of high schools and middle schools in France lacked at least one teacher.

French cities began barricading their schools and protesting in the streets against the lack of teachers, overcrowded classrooms, overpacked schedules, and their schools’ crumbling infrastructure. They also called for an overhaul of the university admissions platform, Parcoursup, saying it is too complex and opaque.