Teachers across the Dordogne department in southwestern France demonstrated on Friday, March 13, 2026, protesting planned cuts to secondary school positions. The protest, held in Périgueux, was organized by the inter-union alliance of Snes-FSU, Unsa, CGT Éducation, and FO, following a week-long strike initiated on March 9th.
Approximately fifty teachers from across the Dordogne gathered outside the courthouse in Périgueux between 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM, voicing opposition to the slated elimination of 28 secondary school posts for the 2026-2027 academic year. The unions condemned what they described as a “logical accounting practice” driving the cuts, arguing that the Ministry of Education should be using declining student numbers as an opportunity to reduce class sizes.
Béatrice Sarnac, the departmental secretary for FNEC-FP-FO 24, stated that the union launched a renewable strike on March 9th, following a notice of intent filed on February 5th, and extending to April 30th. A delegation from Force Ouvrière (FO) is scheduled to meet with the Ministry of National Education in Paris on March 14th to discuss the proposed nationwide reduction of 4,000 positions.
Union representatives expressed concerns that the job losses would disproportionately affect contract teachers and increase the workload for remaining staff. The SNES-FSU Dordogne has also highlighted existing teacher shortages in numerous colleges and high schools throughout the department. The unions are advocating to prevent class sizes from exceeding 30 students in middle school and 35 in high school.
The protest follows a February 25th meeting between union leaders and the Departmental Directorate of National Education (DSDEN), where the inter-union alliance reiterated its opposition to the cuts. The unions argue that the proposed reductions fail to address the need for additional support staff, including school counselors (PsyEN) and teaching assistants (AED).
