# French Education Minister Proposes Catch-up Classes for Blockaded High Schools Edouard Geffray suggests utilizing school holidays to compensate for lost instructional time. - **Source:** [20 Minutes](https://www.20minutes.fr) - **Published:** 2026-11-09 - **Topic:** [politics](https://brifing.si/c/politics) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/eab9e29e-e13d-4fa3-a937-5f194eaa3a52 ## Proposed Academic Recovery Plan Education Minister Edouard Geffray has proposed implementing catch-up classes to address significant instructional time lost due to recent high school blockades across France. The initiative aims to support students, particularly those in their final year, as they prepare for the upcoming baccalaureate examinations despite ongoing disruptions in several educational institutions. ## Utilizing School Holiday Periods The proposed sessions are scheduled to take place during the upcoming February or Easter school holidays. By utilizing these breaks, the Ministry of Education intends to maintain the integrity of the national baccalaureate calendar, ensuring that students are not unfairly disadvantaged by the recent weeks of halted classroom activities nationwide. ## Voluntary Teacher Participation Model The program relies on the participation of voluntary teachers who will receive specific state funding and remuneration for these additional hours. This structure mirrors existing success-oriented support schemes, though the minister intends to scale up these efforts significantly to meet the current demand created by the widespread school blockades. ## Addressing Stakeholder Anxiety Levels Minister Geffray acknowledged that widespread anxiety currently prevails among students, parents, and teaching staff regarding academic readiness. The primary objective of this government intervention is to alleviate these concerns by providing structured training opportunities, ensuring that the curriculum coverage remains consistent with national standards despite the recent period of instability. ## Existing Framework for Support While the scale of the proposed intervention is new, the mechanism of success stages is a standard feature within the French education system. These sessions are typically organized within the school premises themselves, allowing for a familiar environment that facilitates focused learning and intensive preparation for students needing extra academic support. ## Maintaining National Exam Schedules A critical constraint for the Ministry of Education is the refusal to alter the national baccalaureate exam dates. By refusing to shift the calendar, the government places the burden of recovery on these supplementary holiday sessions, aiming to protect the academic value of the diploma while managing the fallout from protests. ## Scope of Current Disruptions The blockades have caused varying degrees of disruption, with some schools experiencing total shutdowns for several weeks. While the majority of institutions have resumed operations, a minority of lycées remain affected by ongoing blockades, necessitating a flexible approach that can be adapted to the specific needs of different regional school populations. ## Strategic Educational Implications This policy highlights the government's attempt to balance student rights to protest with the fundamental requirement for continuous education. The success of this recovery plan will depend heavily on the number of teachers willing to volunteer their holiday time, as well as the effective allocation of state resources for compensation. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.20minutes.fr/societe/4261576-20261109-lycees-bloques-geffray-evoque-cours-rattrapage-pendant-vacances-scolaires-fevrier-paques?at_medium=display&at_campaign=149 — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._