As students have mobilized for several days to demand better learning conditions, the government unveiled the 2027 finance bill on Thursday, October 1st. The Ministry of National Education announced a 1.2 billion euro increase in the Education budget, raising it to just over 64 billion euros, excluding the state's pension contributions. This increase comes at a time when public spending is being carefully managed, and the bill is being debated in a tense atmosphere in the National Assembly. Notably, this budget increase occurs as school enrollments are declining. For the 2026 school year, 180,000 fewer students are expected, following a decrease of 160,000 students in the current academic year. In response to this decline, 1,588 teaching positions are being eliminated in both public and private sectors, with 1,250 of those in the public sector: 414 at the primary level and 836 at the secondary level. The ministry emphasizes that this number is significantly lower than the 9,600 positions that demographic changes alone would have required to maintain the current staffing ratio. The 2027 finance bill includes the creation of 1,804 jobs, such as 1,300 student assistants for students with disabilities (AESH), 209 principal education counselors, and 304 positions to strengthen medical and social staff. It also provides for 3,041 ETP (equivalent full-time positions) for graduates from competitive exams. However, the bill does not allocate any funds for updating textbooks in response to curriculum changes, despite a reduction in overall pedagogical funding. The government has introduced enrollment fees for non-scholarship students: 178 euros per year for BTS (technical education programs) and 270 euros for preparatory classes for grandes écoles (CPGE). This measure is expected to generate 300 million euros in revenue. Scholarship recipients, pupils of the Nation and Republic, as well as refugee or asylum-seeking students, are exempt. Notably, half of the 217,000 students in BTS programs receive scholarships. While the amount saved is not substantial, this policy raises concerns about the potential for a broader increase in enrollment fees. When questioned about this measure, the minister indicated that it would be subject to parliamentary debate and that he had "no problem" with potential amendments. However, with inflation, the budget increase is essentially a freeze on current spending levels. Additionally, the budget includes the continuation of the freeze on the index point for civil servants, which affects their salary adjustments.