Teachers strike in Paris' Ile-de-France region over planned job cuts

By Necva Tastan Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) - Teachers in France’s Ile-de-France region went on strike Tuesday to protest planned job cuts in the national education system, warning that the measure would worsen classroom conditions and strain already stretched staff, according to local media.

The protest follows a government decision to eliminate 4,000 teaching positions nationwide for the 2026 school year, CNews reported.

Educators from the Paris, Creteil, and Versailles academies were called to walk out and demonstrate in the capital, heading toward the Education Ministry.

Explaining the mobilization, teacher representatives said: "Everywhere, in schools and institutions, in classrooms, in student life, in services, we need more staff to ensure a quality public service."

They warned that the planned reductions would have direct consequences for both teachers and pupils.

“With these job cuts, our working conditions and ultimately the learning conditions of our students will deteriorate further, while private education remains completely unaffected.”

Strike action had already begun in some Paris schools on Feb. 10, with teachers demanding “the immediate cancellation” of the job cuts and “a budget for national education that meets the needs,” particularly for institutions considered priority education zones.