France Protests: The French government promised on Monday to replace its national online university admissions platform, seeking to quell student anger after weeks of mass protests over education and living costs.
Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste announced “substantial change” to the platform next year, before its replacement in 2028, as per reports.
The report added that the university admissions replacement system still has to be designed, and legal changes may be needed, leaving crucial decisions unresolved even as the government seeks to persuade students to end their protests. The announcements followed France’s worst unrest in years on October 17, when demonstrations over school funding and rising living costs descended into rioting and looting across the country. The government also promised 15,000 additional places in higher education across 2027 and 2028, mostly in vocational and technical programmes, and increases in student grants linked to inflation from the start of the 2027 academic year.
From Parcoursup (France’s university admissions platform) to high school class sizes, school buildings and the pressure of ongoing assessment, the government’s roadmap includes measures ministers intend to adopt immediately through amendments to the 2027 budget, as well as “projects” to be carried out over the coming months. The ministers also pledged up to four billion euros in loans for school renovations, along with smaller classes, more teaching and higher education posts, and increased student grants, according to a report by the Associated Press.
