School strike on September 18: many establishments closed... Update on the teachers' mobilization

As announced by the unions, the strike this Thursday, September 18th, appears to be very well supported in schools. The National Education system is expected to experience much more disruption than during the previous day of mobilizations for several reasons: firstly, the date of the strike, which falls on a day when all schools are open, whereas the first could only concern middle and high schools; secondly, the call from the inter-union, six of the seven union organizations representing more than 90% of the sector's staff have called for a strike this September 18th. This initiative was encouraged by the call from the inter-union, which deplored the situation in the school sector: "Schools, middle and high schools are suffocated by a lack of resources. Classes are overcrowded, school life is under pressure, and students do not have the AESH they should have," it wrote in a press release.

While awaiting the ministry's figures on the nationwide mobilization, many parents have already noticed the disruptions in their children's classes. In primary schools, kindergarten and primary school teachers are expected to be highly mobilized, according to the majority union, FSU-SNUipp. It predicts that at least a third of teachers will be on strike across the country, or one in three teachers. This proportion is likely to rise to 45% of teachers on strike in Paris. As for the number of schools closed, the union is counting on at least 15%, with 90 of the capital's 626 schools affected. However, some union sources doubt that the movement will be followed nationally: "I'm not sure it will catch on very well. In any case, it won't be uniform across the country," one of them told Le Parisien.

On the middle and high school side, the unions have not released estimates, but all have expressed a willingness to participate in the strike. Secondary school teachers are not required to declare themselves on strike in advance, which complicates the anticipation of the strike. However, the general secretary of the SNES-FSU, the main secondary school union, indicated in the columns of TF1 Info that François Bayrou's budget had reinforced the feeling of anger that the appointment of Sébastien Lecornu to Matignon had "not brought down," implying a significant mobilization of teachers. It should be noted that the majority of unions of private teachers under contract also called for participation in the September 18 strike in schools, which is more rare.

Canteens and after-school activities affected by the strike, will student reception continue?

In primary schools, teachers are required to declare their strike 48 hours before the strike day to allow parents to make arrangements if necessary. However, children must be able to be accommodated even in the event of a strike. The law stipulates that "if less than 25% of the school's teachers declare their intention to strike, the State will ensure the care of your child" and that "if the strike affects 25% or more of the teachers, this care service is the responsibility of your municipality," which can provide it at the school or in a municipal facility such as a gymnasium, leisure center, or multipurpose room. Please note that this care is often limited to the minimum service and does not include activities to keep children occupied. It is also not guaranteed that meals will be provided.

Canteens and after-school services, such as morning and evening daycare, are not under the control of teachers, but rather of city hall services. In fact, if municipal services go on strike at the call of public sector unions, as is the case on September 18, it is possible that canteens and after-school services will be on strike.

In middle and high schools, students are more independent. They can attend schools as long as they are open, despite the absence of their teachers, but there is no obligation to accommodate or provide minimum service. However, cafeterias may also be affected by the strike.

More school strikes coming?

The majority of unions have called for a one-day strike in schools only this Thursday, September 18, but a strike notice running from August 18 to October 18 has been filed by the FNEC FP-FO for the national education sector. The SNES-FSU union has also filed a strike notice for each week of September. Further mobilizations are therefore possible. This will depend on the outcome of the national strike movement and the government's response to teachers' anger.

The National Education unions - FSU, UNSA Education, FNEC FP FO, CFDT Education Training Research Publics, CGT Educ'action and SUD Education - "demand that all the measures presented this summer in the budget be abandoned by the new government." "They also demand a change of budgetary direction that brings hope, social justice and fiscal justice," reads the press release of September 13, 2025. The main National Education unions also specified some of the reasons for the demand for the September 18 strike. The FSU-SNUipp, the majority union in primary education, lists five reasons for striking: opposing the budget and austerity policies, defending teachers' salaries and rights, demanding more resources for schools, defending inclusive education and AESH (Academic Aid for Disabled People), and finally advocating for other solutions. For its part, the main secondary school union, the SNES-FSU, calls for "an end to social sorting reforms (Choc des savoirs, ParcourSup, Lycée Blanquer), revaluing staff, improving working conditions, supporting staff in their jobs and obtaining civil servant status for AESH", among other things.

These demands are accompanied by real concerns: "Education is lacking in everything and the public education service is only maintained by the professional conscience of its staff," believes the CGT Education union. Specifically, regarding secondary schools, the SNES-FSU estimates that for this academic year, there is a shortage of "at least one teacher in 55% of establishments, a PsyEN (National Education psychologist) in 13.2% of establishments and an Aesh (supporting students with disabilities) in 12.2% of establishments."