Macron stirs debate by saying he wants to shorten French school holidays

Children play in a fountain during a heatwave in Albi, France, this month. One union said children could not return early unless buildings were adapted to deal with the climate crisis. Photograph: Bertrand Arnaud/Abaca/Shutterstock

Emmanuel Macron says he wants to make French school holidays shorter, sparking a debate among teachers’ unions and parent groups.

In a broad interview in Le Point magazine to mark his return to Paris after three weeks at the presidential summer residence on the Mediterranean coast, Macron said there were “too many school holidays” in France.