France's government has announced a package of education measures in an attempt to stem weeks of student unrest, but student union leaders say the proposals fall short and have called for continued mobilisation.

More than five weeks after high school blockades began in September, the government presented proposals to address the demands of what has become the biggest youth protest movement in years. The movement has been joined by trade unions and cost-of-living protesters in regular mass street demonstrations on Saturdays.

Education Minister Edouard Geffray acknowledged the state of school infrastructure, saying some buildings were so dilapidated they were "not fit" for teaching. He announced a government loan of four billion euros to regional authorities to begin repairs.

High school pupils had demanded an end to teacher and staff shortages and repairs to deteriorating school buildings, citing collapsing ceilings, mould, broken toilets, a lack of chairs, and windows that would not shut.

On class sizes, Geffray said the number of pupils in the first year of high school would be capped at 28 in the 50 percent of schools in the lowest-income areas, with the measure extending to all high schools the following year. He added that more teaching posts would be created and that the French baccalaureate system would be reviewed.

The university application platform Parcoursup, widely described as opaque and unfair, is to be reformed in 2027 and replaced by a new system in 2028. Parliament is scheduled to hold a debate on the issue. Higher Education Minister Philippe Baptiste said 15,000 extra student places would be created, with a focus on vocational courses.

Despite the announcements, student union leaders said the measures did not go far enough. Pierre Sourzat of Les Lycéens told France Info television: "Today we're at the negotiating table, we're able to negotiate with the government. We're in a power struggle and we still need to call for continued mobilisation to meet a maximum of our demands."

Sourzat added: "We want measures, not half measures."

Louis Letoublon, who attended a meeting with Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on behalf of Les Lycéens, said: "Bravo to the high school students who have demonstrated. We've got something: the government is afraid and knows it must do something and listen to us. Not all our demands were met. We'll go on for as long as it takes."

Baptiste said the government's door was "open" for further discussions.

Several young people have been seriously injured during the protests, allegedly by police explosive weapons. Hundreds of students have been arrested and held in police custody.

The authorities increased security measures and placed restrictions on demonstrations following what was described as France's worst day of violence in years on 17 October, when looting, fires, and vandalism of state buildings were recorded. Curfews have been imposed in certain cities alongside protest bans. Protest routes were pushed to the outskirts of cities on Saturday, when demonstrations passed off largely peacefully.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said a new phenomenon had emerged in cities including Nice and Montpellier, with ultra-right groups arriving in "organised formations" and targeting protesters. Eleven suspects are to face charges in connection with those incidents.

President Emmanuel Macron, visiting Marseille on Monday, said nationwide protests were likely to continue and described the next planned day of demonstrations on 31 October as a "day of risk."

Macron said the looting and vandalism of 17 October should never happen again and described the level of unrest as "not normal" with a presidential election six months away. Macron is due to step down next spring, with far-right leader Marine Le Pen currently leading in the polls.

The president said: "We will continue to hold the line. If we all do our jobs well, this movement will subside -- because we will address legitimate expectations, and because order will be maintained. But nothing is a foregone conclusion."

Authorities have admitted to security and intelligence failures that contributed to the clashes on 17 October.