The French government announced plans to deploy 3,000 supply teachers to secondary schools, marking its initial substantive response to weeks of student-led demonstrations. Education Minister Edouard Geffray disclosed the proposal during a television appearance following another day of protests that included violent clashes between demonstrators and police.
Since the movement began, authorities report approximately 6,877 arrests, with 86 percent involving individuals under 18 years old. Thursday’s demonstrations drew roughly 71,000 participants nationwide, including 24,000 at the Bastille in Paris. Police deployed tear gas to manage crowds who threw paving stones and improvised explosives. Incidents of property damage and assault on school staff occurred in several cities including Bordeaux and Marseille. By Friday, about 140 of the nation’s 3,500 secondary schools remained fully or partially closed, though organizers have scheduled additional action for the following Tuesday.
Geffray attributed the staffing initiative to new ministry software enabling better allocation of available substitute teachers to approximately 500 schools facing the greatest shortages, particularly in high-immigration suburban areas. The minister also indicated increased compensation would support existing overtime programs and pledged student concerns would feature in discussions surrounding the 2027 budget education allocations. Officials acknowledged longstanding recognition within French education circles that absent teachers and insufficient replacement coverage constitute a persistent problem.
Student representatives responded cautiously. Moderate union leader Nathanaël Combary noted that while some demands were partially addressed, concrete implementation remained uncertain. More militant faction Union Etudiante representative Sabrine Kharbach stated protesters would continue action unless €10 billion in funding materialized. The government declined larger-scale investment, citing concerns about France’s debt situation and international market scrutiny.
The student movement represents France’s most significant education-sector unrest in years, occurring amid broader social tensions including fuel price complaints and agricultural sector distress. Political figures across the spectrum responded predictably, with radical-left leaders supporting the demonstrations while hard-right opposition figures criticized what they characterized as rewarding violence.
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