French students protest education issues

French high school students have been protesting for several weeks, with some schools in Créteil closing their gates on September 21. By early October, over 400 schools across France had been affected. The demonstrations focus on issues such as large class sizes, teacher absences, exhausting schedules, aging school buildings, and the pressures of the Parcoursup university admissions system. In response, the French education minister introduced a "consultation platform" and announced a "second act" for October 6.

AI wins math competition

In July 2025, an AI developed by Google won a gold medal at the International Mathematics Olympiad, solving five out of six problems without any tools or internet access. This highlights the growing capabilities of AI, which are increasingly outpacing human performance in certain areas.

AI affects young job seekers

A study published by Stanford in August 2025 found that employment for individuals aged 22-25 in the most exposed jobs had declined by 13% since the emergence of generative AI. In contrast, employment for experienced workers has remained stable or even increased. In the tech sector, the hiring of beginners dropped by 73% between 2024 and 2025, according to the platform Ravio. This indicates that AI is primarily affecting entry-level positions, with tasks such as syntheses, research, and testing being automated.

AI threatens future jobs

Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, has warned that AI could eliminate half of the entry-level white-collar jobs and push unemployment between 10 and 20% within five years. A high school sophomore today will enter the job market between 2029 and 2034, placing them directly in the crosshairs of AI-driven job displacement.

France faces higher labor costs

France is particularly vulnerable due to the high cost of labor. In 2025, an hour of work in the commercial sector cost a French employer 44.7 euros, compared to an average of 34.7 euros in the European Union, according to Insee. This makes AI agents more profitable. In the second quarter of 2026, unemployment among those aged 15-24 reached 21.6%, an increase of 2.5 percentage points over a year. While AI is not yet the main cause, it is expected to exacerbate existing issues.

Other countries prepare for AI

In contrast to France, other countries are taking proactive steps to address AI's impact. In South Korea, families spend an average of 793,000 won per month, nearly 500 euros, on private lessons for each high school student. Three out of four students are enrolled in additional classes. In China, AI education has been mandated for at least eight hours per year from primary school to high school since September 2025. Estonia has provided free access to ChatGPT Edu to 20,000 high school students in their second and first years. In France, the mandatory Pix IA program for second-year students this academic year lasts between thirty minutes and one and a half hours.

Critics call for better AI education

Critics argue that the current approach to AI education is insufficient. They advocate for AI courses every week starting in the second year, assessed like mathematics, and not just an online module to check off. Teachers should be trained in these tools before being asked to supervise them. Free access to the paid versions of the best AI models is also suggested, as the current cost of 20 euros per month creates a social boundary between those who can afford the best tools and those who cannot.

France plans for the future

The French government has established an "anticipation committee" tasked with imagining the school of the future, 5, 10, or 20 years from now. However, the consultation platform will primarily collect complaints about the canteens and Parcoursup, with few addressing the issue of AI. While students may get less crowded classes, they will graduate into jobs that no longer exist.