Tahiti, October 7, 2026. The Association of Overseas Communes and Collectivities (ACCDOM) has expressed concerns to the French government about worsening school conditions in France's overseas territories. The organization pointed out problems such as overcrowded classrooms, a shortage of permanent teachers, and poor infrastructure. According to the ACCDOM, these issues have been getting worse over time, and the association had already warned the government about the growing crisis, urging immediate action to prevent further problems. In a letter sent at the end of last week, as student protests began to grow stronger, the ACCDOM said that the students' demands in overseas territories are "legitimate" and "not new." These demands have been raised for a long time in the overseas territories, with specific examples given in the statement. On August 24, the day of the school year's start in Mayotte, the North High School had 2300 students in buildings that were only built for 900. A week later, teachers and parents blocked the school. In French Guiana, students at Félix-Éboué High School listed seventeen demands, including the need for classrooms without fans, unsanitary bathrooms, and an overpriced and overcrowded cafeteria. The ACCDOM noted that these demands were made "without violence" but received only "three weeks of silence" from the government, with media coverage mainly handled by local overseas press. Joseph Kaiha, president of the ACCDOM, said this difference in treatment shows how overseas children are viewed in the educational debate. The list of complaints includes canceled classes, teacher layoffs even as some territories' populations have grown, run-down buildings, poor cafeteria facilities, a lack of daycare, and the requirement for high school students to move to other locations in territories where some local governments have decided not to build high schools. The ACCDOM emphasized that overseas territories are not asking for special treatment, but for treatment that matches their situation and the structural delays they have experienced. The ACCDOM has urged the government to include a separate component for overseas territories in its response to the student movement, to implement a moratorium on job cuts in overseas academies in the 2027 budget, or to open the Green Fund and EduRénov to new construction in overseas territories.