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France's government pledged Monday to replace its national online university admissions platform, seeking to quell student anger after weeks of often violent mass protests over education and living costs.
Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste announced "substantial change" to the platform next year, before its replacement in 2028.
Ministers also pledged up to $4.5 billion in loans for school renovations, alongside smaller classes, more teaching and higher education posts and increased student grants.
The concessions target the school grievances that helped ignite the unrest.
But the movement has widened to include workers demanding relief from rising living costs, making the government's task tougher than simply resolving a dispute over university admissions.
The announcements followed France's worst unrest in years on Oct. 17, when demonstrations over school funding and rising living costs descended into rioting and looting across the country.
Groups of protesters set fires, looted shops, clashed with police and attacked public buildings, briefly storming Marseille's City Hall and setting Limoges' 19th-century town hall ablaze. The fire brought down the Limoges building's roof and clock tower.
About 2,400 people were arrested in connection with the demonstrations, in which hundreds of thousands marched peacefully.
Two high school student groups welcomed some concessions, but called for protests to continue. Their representatives spoke after meeting with Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu earlier Monday.
"We have managed to address some of the students' demands," said Nathanael Combary of the high school group Renouveau Lyceen. "I emphasize the term 'some.'"
Other representatives were more critical. "We have received crumbs compared to what we are asking for," said Clement Vieillot of the Mouvement Cachan 94 student group.
He pointed to students' demand for 250,000 more university places, compared with the government's pledge of 15,000 additional places in higher education.
Further demonstrations are planned.