Teacher strikes, staffing gaps and deteriorating buildings are pushing some parents toward private education. Pension costs are also squeezing public spending as school performance declines.
Clemence Remy moved to Nantes in 2020 and initially enrolled her two daughters in a state school. After repeated strikes, she moved them to a private school. Reuters reports that such choices are becoming more visible amid protests over teacher shortages, school conditions and inequality in education.
French state secondary schools failed to staff nearly 10% of scheduled teaching hours in the 2024–25 school year. Three quarters of those hours were lost because absent teachers were not replaced. The 2025 PISA results showed French 15-year-olds’ maths and reading performance at record lows and below the OECD average.
Private schools operating under state contracts receive public funding for teachers’ salaries but have more control over staffing and admissions. More than 2 million children, or 17.6% of France’s pupils, attend these schools. The share from the most affluent families has risen: they made up 40.2% of pupils in 2021, compared with 26.4% in 2000.
Reuters says pension costs are adding to pressure on the education budget. Based on Eurostat data, the agency estimates French pension spending could reach €436 billion, or 14% of GDP, in 2027. Remy pays €191 a month for each child’s private schooling. She acknowledges it is not affordable for everyone but says it offers her daughters a more stable learning environment.