French Vocational High School Teachers Strike Over Reforms on October 14, 2025

Teaching staff across France's lycées professionnels (vocational high schools) initiated a nationwide strike on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. The industrial action was called in protest against government reforms impacting the final year of vocational education and a reduction in teaching hours. Demonstrations and gatherings were anticipated in major cities and in front of rectorates across the country.

Controversial Reforms Spark Outcry

At the heart of the teachers' discontent are significant changes to the final year of the 'bac professionnel' (vocational baccalaureate) and a perceived reduction in teaching hours. A key point of contention is the implementation of the 'parcours différencié' (differentiated pathway), also known as the 'parcours en Y'. This reform, fully applied since spring 2025, allows final-year students to choose between continuing their studies or entering the workforce after their exams.

Unions argue that this differentiated pathway prematurely pushes young people into a precarious labor market. They contend that the reforms weaken initial vocational training and contribute to a general degradation of teaching conditions. Critics state that the changes divert vocational high schools from their primary mission of 'forming and emancipating young people' by prioritizing immediate market needs over comprehensive education.

Unions Unite in Opposition

The strike was organized by a broad inter-union front, including prominent organizations such as SNUEP-FSU, CGT Éduc'action, SE-UNSA, CFDT Éducation Formation Recherche Publiques, SNALC, SUD Éducation, and CNT-FTE. The SNES-FSU also called for its members to participate. These unions are demanding 'more teaching hours', the 'reinstatement of certain technical exams', and a 'reversal of recent plans to remove training hours'. They also call for the 'abrogation of the parcours personnalisé' and any pathway deemed detrimental to teaching.

Union representatives have highlighted a 'fiasco' with the differentiated pathway, citing consequences such as 'students less prepared for exams', 'completely disorganized establishments', and 'catastrophic absenteeism'. They emphasize that the ongoing reforms, which have been progressively deployed since the 2023 school year, have led to a lack of resources that prevents vocational high schools from effectively fulfilling their educational mission.

Government's Stated Objectives

The French government's stated objectives for the vocational high school reforms are to transform them into a 'path to success', chosen by students and their families, and recognized by society and businesses. The reforms aim to 'better accompany each vocational high school student', 'fight against dropping out', and 'make vocational high school a choice for the future'. Measures include financial incentives for student work placements and increased teaching hours in core subjects like mathematics and French for some students.

However, the unions maintain that the practical application of these reforms contradicts these stated goals, leading to a decline in educational quality and student preparedness.

Broader Context of Recent Protests

This strike on October 14, 2025, occurs within a broader context of recent industrial actions in France. The country has experienced several protests throughout October 2025 and late September 2025, with unions mobilizing against various government policies, including budget cuts and other reforms. While the impact on primary schools often involves mandatory service requirements, secondary schools like lycées professionnels do not have such obligations, meaning disruptions can be significant.