Teachers across France’s Île-de-France region staged a major strike and demonstration on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, to protest the government's decision to eliminate thousands of teaching positions in the national education system for the upcoming 2026 school year. The action, coordinated by a unified inter-union coalition including FSU, SNUipp-FSU, SNES-FSU, SE-Unsa, FO, CFDT, CGT, and SUD, highlighted deep concerns over deteriorating working and learning conditions in public schools.
The strike primarily affected the academies of Paris, Créteil, and Versailles, where educators walked out and marched toward the Ministry of National Education in Paris. Protesters gathered at Place de la Sorbonne around 1:00 p.m. before proceeding to demonstrate in the capital, drawing attention to what unions describe as a deliberate policy of austerity in public education.
The mobilization stems from the French government's announcement, confirmed in late January 2026 during ministerial discussions and aligned with the 2026 budget law, to suppress approximately 4,000 teaching posts nationwide at the start of the 2026 school year. Official figures from the Ministry of National Education specify 1,891 positions cut in the first degree (preschool and elementary) and 1,365 in the second degree (middle and high schools) in the public sector, contributing to a total of around 3,256–4,000 reductions when including private under-contract schools and other adjustments.
Union representatives emphasized that these cuts come despite demographic trends and ongoing challenges in the sector. In Île-de-France specifically, the academies face significant impacts: for example, 342 posts are slated for elimination in primary education across the region, exacerbating existing shortages of substitute teachers, AESH (school support assistants for students with disabilities), and other support staff.
"Everywhere—in schools and institutions, in classrooms, in student life, in services—we need more staff to ensure a quality public service," stated the regional inter-union in a joint communiqué. They warned that the reductions would directly worsen teachers' working conditions and students' learning environments, with increased class sizes, more closures of classes, and strained resources in priority education zones (REP/REP+ areas).
Unions sharply criticized the disparity in treatment: while public education faces cuts, private schools under contract remain largely unaffected. They accused the government of prioritizing budgetary savings over educational needs, particularly in a context of rising demands for inclusive education, smaller class sizes (targeted at 20 students maximum, or 16 in priority zones), and better support for vulnerable pupils.
The strike follows earlier localized actions, including teacher walkouts in some Paris schools as early as February 10, 2026. Demands include:
- Immediate cancellation of all planned job cuts.
- A substantial increase in the national education budget to match real needs.
- Creation of new positions for CPEs (senior educational advisors), AESH, PsyEN (school psychologists), AED (educational assistants), and medical-social staff.
- Overhaul of resource allocation, especially in priority education zones.
- Reduction of class sizes and improved working conditions.
According to the Ministry of National Education's preliminary figures released on the day of the strike, participation stood at 6.16% among teachers in Île-de-France overall—6.84% in primary education and 5.77% in secondary—with higher rates (around 13.3%) among school life personnel. While this turnout indicates moderate but significant engagement, unions noted that many schools experienced disruptions, partial closures, or reduced operations, particularly in affected academies.
The action is part of a broader wave of discontent in the French public sector over the 2026 budget constraints. Education unions have been vocal since the draft budget emerged in late 2025, warning that successive years of job suppressions (over 10,000 since 2018 in some estimates) have led to burnout, recruitment difficulties, and declining educational quality.
The government has justified the measures by citing a demographic decline in school-age children, which reduces enrollment in many areas, and the need to maintain fiscal discipline. Officials argue that reserves for teacher recruitment competitions and targeted reallocations will mitigate impacts, though critics contend this ignores persistent shortages and regional disparities.
With the school year approaching and no immediate reversal announced, unions have signaled plans for further actions, including potential national mobilization in March 2026 if demands remain unmet. The February 17 strike in Île-de-France serves as a strong regional signal of resistance, underscoring the ongoing tension between public education priorities and national budgetary realities.
As the situation develops, parents, students, and educators in the Paris region continue to monitor impacts on daily schooling, with calls for dialogue between unions and the ministry to avert deeper cuts to the public service d'éducation.
