Lycée blockades: what the attendance rules say
Lycée blockades have been running in France since late September. What the rules provide about missed classes, and where students can have their say until 23 October.
What is happening
A wave of lycée blockades has been running in France since late September. On 1 October, according to France 24, the protest escalated in several large cities and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu convened a crisis unit. Education Minister Édouard Geffray proposed a platform through which lycée students could have their say.
On 6 October the ministry opened an online consultation, « Lycéennes, lycéens : vous avez la parole », on the Agora platform; it runs until Friday 23 October 2026. Students are asked what difficulties they face and what, in their view, should change (Service-Public).
If your child's lycée is closed
A blockade does not suspend the attendance rules, and that is the practical point. A pupil must attend the classes on their timetable, and parents must account for any absence — whatever the reason and date — informing the school as soon as possible.
The rules treat as authorised: the child's illness or a contagious illness in the household, family occasions such as a wedding or a funeral, a transport failure, and travelling with legal guardians outside the holidays. Any other reason is examined by the school authorities.
The response to unexplained absences is graduated:
| How many | What the rules provide |
|---|---|
| first unexplained absence | the pupil is called in by the CPE (conseiller principal d'éducation), who restates the attendance obligation and contacts the parents |
| 4 half-days in a month | the head of the lycée calls in the parents, restates their obligations and the support available, informs the school's social service; the educational committee (commission éducative) meets |
| more than 10 half-days in a month | a meeting with the parents, an assistance and support contract, the head names a referent (référent) and notifies the DASEN |
| beyond that | the DASEN refers the case to the prosecutor; a €750 fine after a warning |
What this means for a foreigner in France
The rules provide that an absence must be accounted for in every case, even when the reason is obvious to the whole town. For a recently arrived family that is the most common slip: if the school is shut, it feels as though there is nothing to report.
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