France to scrap controversial Parcoursup portal to quell nation-wide student riots

Paris: The French government announced on Monday that it will phase out and replace its national online university admissions portal by 2028, aiming to calm student frustration after several weeks of widespread demonstrations over educational standards and living expenses.

Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste outlined plans for "substantial change" to the software ahead of the 2027 transition cycle, culminating in a complete system overhaul the following year.

The portal, known as Parcoursup, manages candidate applications for universities and tertiary education programmes. It has served as a primary flashpoint during the student movement, with participants voicing strong opposition to opaque admission benchmarks and unequal placement opportunities.

Two major high school student unions acknowledged the concessions while urging demonstrators to maintain their mobilization. Their representatives issued the call following discussions with Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu earlier on Monday, ahead of the ministerial press briefing.

The announcements followed France's most severe civil unrest in years on October 17, when rallies concerning institutional funding and cost-of-living pressures erupted into widespread rioting and looting nationwide. Groups of demonstrators ignited fires, breached public facilities—including Marseille’s City Hall—pillaged retail stores, and clashed directly with security forces.

A subsequent wave of nationwide protests on Saturday drew lower levels of violence. Official police figures estimated attendance at over 400,000, whereas organizers claimed nearly 800,000 participants.

Lecornu and senior cabinet members conferred with high school and university delegates on Monday prior to making the formal declarations.

Earlier in the day, President Emmanuel Macron pledged "concrete measures" to address student grievances during an official visit to the southern port city of Marseille.

“I have asked the government to address the legitimate demands at the root of this protest movement,” Macron stated.

Macron and his centrist administration faced mounting criticism for failing to adequately respond to student concerns since secondary school blockades commenced in mid-September. The demonstrations triggered numerous arrests and intensified scrutiny regarding police riot-control tactics linked to severe injuries sustained by several youths.

Demands for improved educational environments have further encompassed calls for additional teaching staff to cover absences, campus infrastructural repairs, revised timetables, and reduced class sizes. On October 8, the administration committed to deploying 3,000 extra substitute educators to under-resourced secondary institutions.

Calls for better-funded schools, particularly within disadvantaged districts, coincide with broader economic pressures as France contends with high levels of poverty and national debt.

PTI