Are French school protesters right to say education is underfunded?

The French education system faces significant structural challenges despite high secondary school funding, which sits 28% above the OECD average. While high schools appear well-resourced, primary education remains underfunded, receiving 11% less than the OECD average. Eric Charbonnier from the OECD explains that a third of the total education budget is consumed by a "pay-as-you-go" pension system rather than classroom improvements. Consequently, French teachers earn substantially less than their international peers—with German teachers earning nearly double—and manage larger classes of approximately 30 students in urban areas. These financial pressures result in longer school days to compensate for shorter academic years and contribute to extreme educational inequality. PISA data reveals that disadvantaged students lag a full year behind their wealthier peers, fueling the widespread student and teacher protests over deteriorating working conditions and diminishing future prospects.