France to Cut 4,000 Teaching Jobs in 2026, Sparking Outrage

The French government has announced plans to eliminate more than 4,000 teaching positions for the next school year, triggering a wave of anger from education unions who describe the move as a “sanglante” — or bloodletting — for the national education system.

A “Brutal” Move for the Education System

According to figures released by the Ministry of National Education, the cuts include:

2,229 positions in primary schools
1,803 positions in secondary schools

The reductions exceed the numbers initially forecasted in the government’s draft budget. Union leaders say the cuts will deepen inequalities, increase class sizes, and strain already overworked teachers.

“This is going to be brutal,” warned Aurélie Gagnier of the FSU-Snuipp teachers’ union. “Some regions will be hit hard — it will be sanglant.”

Hardest-Hit Regions

Several regional education authorities (académies) will bear the brunt of these reductions:

Lille: 265 positions in primary, 190 in secondary
Versailles: 170 in primary
Nancy-Metz: 160 in primary
Normandy: 153 in primary, 150 in secondary

Only Mayotte and Martinique will see job increases, with 80 and 17 new teaching posts respectively.

Union representatives called the plan “short-sighted,” arguing that it overlooks the long-term need to strengthen public education rather than trim it down.

Government Blames Falling Student Numbers

Education Minister Édouard Geffray defended the decision, pointing to a sharp demographic decline in the number of pupils nationwide.

“We will have lost 25% of pupils in 15 years in primary education,” Geffray said, noting a further 2% drop expected for the 2026 school year.

However, unions dispute this logic, saying that fewer students do not automatically translate to less need for teachers.

“Class sizes in France remain among the largest in Europe,” one union statement read. “We’d need about 10,000 more staff just to reach 2017 levels of teacher-student ratios.”

Unions Prepare for Mobilisation

Unions including Snes-FSU, SE-Unsa, and CGT Éduc’action signaled plans to mobilize in the coming weeks. The Snes-FSU described the cuts as “even worse than expected,” especially as budget discussions continue in Parliament.

Education observers note that this latest shake-up comes at a time when teachers are already protesting over pay, working conditions, and education reforms.

A Delayed Announcement with Political Implications

Typically unveiled in December, the staffing plan was delayed three times due to budget uncertainty. While the 2026-2027 academic year still feels distant, education planners and teachers’ unions say they need clarity now to prepare for the changes — particularly in rural and working-class regions where schools are already struggling to recruit.

Wider Concerns Across the French Education Landscape

Critics warn that these cuts could exacerbate:

Overcrowded classrooms and declining student support
Teacher burnout and recruitment shortages
Regional inequalities, particularly outside major cities
A growing disconnect between national reforms and local realities

Analysts say the government faces a difficult balancing act: reducing public spending while maintaining the quality and accessibility of education across the country.