# French education system recruitment and staffing reforms > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/french-education-system-recruitment-and-staffing-reforms > Updated: 2026-08-23T10:30:03.000Z. Sources: 18. Developments: 2. France is undergoing significant structural changes to its education system to address recruitment and staffing challenges. To combat a 45% drop in teacher applicants since 2021 and high attrition rates—where roughly 30% of new teachers leave within five years—the government is implementing reforms for the 2026 academic year. These reforms include relaxing diploma requirements, allowing candidates to enter the profession without a master’s degree by enrolling in a new ‘student civil servant’ status through a professionalizing Master in Teaching and Education (M2E) program. Simultaneously, the 2026-2027 school year faces staff reductions, with the State suppressing nearly 2,000 primary education positions and 1,300 secondary education positions, citing declining demographics. These cuts have sparked concerns regarding the availability of support for students with disabilities, specifically regarding AESH (Accompanying persons for students with disabilities). In regions such as La Réunion, these issues are compounded by shortages of specialized staff and a decline in local employment contracts used for extracurricular activities. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-23: Cultural events and local initiatives announced across France A series of cultural and community events are announced, including botanical exhibitions in Toulouse, photography festivals in Arles, and contemporary art fairs in Marseille. 17 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/brest-roadworks-to-cause-traffic-disruptions-starting-august-24 ### 2026-08-17: France reforms teacher recruitment to combat shortages and high attrition France is lowering entry requirements for teachers to combat declining recruitment, even as high attrition rates cost the state nearly one billion euros every five years. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/france-reforms-teacher-recruitment-to-combat-shortages-and-high-attrition --- Cite as: French education system recruitment and staffing reforms. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/french-education-system-recruitment-and-staffing-reforms