The September 18 strike in the French education system promises to be particularly well attended in and around the capital.
The FSU-SNUipp, the leading primary school union, predicts that a third of primary school teachers nationwide will be on strike on Thursday September 18, 2025. But it is in the Île-de-France region that the mobilization is expected to be strongest. The strike comes against a backdrop of high social tension, eight days after the"Bloquons tout" movement, which drew nearly 200,000 demonstrators across France. In the Paris region, the national education unions are unanimously denouncing the government's austerity policy, which is having a direct impact on teaching conditions in the region's schools.
Participation figures vary considerably from region to region. In Paris, the FSU-SNUipp estimates a strike rate of over 45% in primary schools, with at least 90 of the capital's 626 public elementary school closed. This represents around 15% of Paris schools that will be closed on Thursday.
In Lyon, the mayor's office has announced that 142 of the city's 207 schools will be affected, an even higher proportion than in Paris. These school closures mainly concern primary schools, where teachers are legally obliged to declare themselves on strike 48 hours in advance to their superiors.
In secondary schools in the Paris region, the impact will be harder to anticipate, as secondary school teachers are not required to declare their intention to strike in advance. However, all the teachers' unions are calling on staff to mobilize. High schools in eastern Paris and Seine-Saint-Denis, already mobilized during previous strikes, are likely to be particularly hard hit.
This strike action echoes the deep-rooted concerns of the educational world. Staff denounce "overcrowded classes, school life under pressure" and the fact that "some pupils don't have the AESH they should have". AESH (Accompagnants d'Élèves en Situation de Handicap) are sorely lacking in many schools, compromising inclusive education.
Theunion is protesting against the lack of any significant pay rise, the announced job cuts and the continuing deterioration in working conditions. According to a back-to-school survey conducted by the FSU-Snuipp, in the 6,063 schools that responded, almost 3,000 classes did not have a teacher assigned for the school year. This dramatic situation illustrates the recruitment crisis affecting the French education system.
The unions also criticize reforms carried out "at breakneck speed", such as the introduction of new curricula in primary education and the "Knowledge Shock". They denounce an education policy that is deemed too prescriptive, leaving too little room for teachers' pedagogical freedom.
In view of this large-scale mobilization in the Paris region, parents are advised to check with their child's school as soon as possible whether classes will be held on Thursday. In primary schools, school managements have normally informed families of the planned organization, your child's teacher having had to declare before Tuesday September 16.
Please note that even if your child's teacher is not on strike, the school may not be able to accommodate all pupils.
The extracurricular sector will also be affected by this day of action throughout the region. Canteens and day-care centers are likely to be closed in many schools in the Paris region, even where teachers are not taking part in the strike. The absence of catering or after-school care at the end of the day may also mean that you have to take the day off to look after your children.
This strike is part of a wider social movement orchestrated by thenational inter-union (CFDT, CGT, FO, CFE-CGC, CFTC, UNSA, FSU and Solidaires). Authorities are expecting a larger mobilization than for the "Bloquons tout" movement on September 10, with between 30,000 and 60,000 demonstrators expected in the capital. The demonstration will set off from Place de la Bastille towards Concorde at 2pm.
Transport in the Paris region, health sector with 98% of pharmacies closed, civil service... September 18 is shaping up to be a major cross-industry mobilization in the Paris region. Families can expect major disruptions in many sectors, beyond the simple closure of schools. The Paris metro will be particularly hard hit, with only automated lines 1, 4 and 14 operating normally.
The success of this mobilization in the national education system in the Paris region testifies to the deep malaise affecting the teaching profession, in the Paris region as elsewhere. At a time when the start of the new school year has revealed major structural difficulties, particularly in Seine-Saint-Denis, this strike is a wake-up call about the state of public schools in the Paris region. The unions are already calling for mobilization to continue beyond September 18 if their demands are not met.
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