Following repeated student protests, the French government has decided to deploy 3,000 substitute teachers to around 500 secondary schools, with the aim of strengthening resources in the education system.
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Education Minister Edouard Geffray announced the plan on Thursday evening, after another day of protests in several cities across France. He explained that the teachers would be sent to institutions facing the most severe staff shortages, through a new digital coordination platform.
During Thursday’s demonstrations, around 71,000 people took to the streets across the country, while 24,000 of them gathered in the Bastille area of Paris, according to figures released by the authorities and organizers. Police used tear gas against groups of protesters who threw stones and homemade fireworks.
The incidents were not limited to the capital. In Bordeaux, protesters looted a secondary school, while in Marseille a deputy headteacher was assaulted. The government said that 6,877 people had been arrested since the protests began, 86 percent of them under the age of 18.
Student representatives have made it clear that the government’s announcement has not convinced them. They are calling for actionable measures and greater investment to improve conditions in secondary schools, insisting that promises must be followed by concrete results.
The package announced by Geffray also provides additional funding for teachers who agree to work outside regular hours. The minister also promised that students’ demands would be considered during discussions on the state budget for 2027.
Meanwhile, around 140 secondary schools were fully or partially closed on Friday, out of approximately 3,500 in total. This figure is lower than on previous days, but organizers have announced another day of protests next Tuesday.
Student unions have said that the demonstrations will continue, despite the government’s commitments and the violent clashes that have accompanied the latest protests.
