Education Minister Writes to Lycéens as Student Protests Continue

Overview

• On Friday, Oct. 30 Édouard Geffray posted a two‑page letter on X addressed to lycéens and thanked more than 100,000 people who contributed to an online consultation.
• The note restated measures announced earlier in the week including a phased replacement of Parcoursup by 2028, 15,000 new higher education places, 500 new teacher posts, a 28‑student cap in seconde classes, and a review of the baccalauréat continuous assessment.
• Student and lycée organizations that have been mobilized for six weeks judged the measures insufficient, vowed to continue the movement, and planned to join a Gilets Jaunes demonstration on Saturday.
• The government is using the consultation to claim legitimacy for its package while critics point out many changes are short‑term fixes and that new higher‑education places will focus largely on short vocational tracks.
• If talks do not advance, disruptions at high schools and in university admissions could persist and force further negotiations over selection rules and the long‑term future of Parcoursup.