In a move to address persistent unrest within the secondary education system, the French government has promised to deploy 3,000 additional supply teachers in the coming days. Education minister Edouard Geffray announced this concession during a television interview on Thursday evening, following ongoing demonstrations by high-school students that have occasionally turned violent. With a promise of 3,000 extra supply teachers in the coming days, the French government has made its first sign of giving ground to teenage protesters.
This three-week protest movement, which unions have designated as Act Four, saw approximately 71,000 participants take to the streets across France on Thursday. A significant portion of the demonstrators, numbering 24,000, gathered at the Bastille in Paris. Throughout these events, police have utilized tear gas to manage crowds, particularly in instances where protesters threw paving stones and improvised fireworks at officers.
The scale of the unrest has resulted in widespread legal intervention. Since the protests began, 6,877 individuals have been arrested, with 86% of those detained being under 18 years of age. Recent incidents include the ransacking of a high school in Bordeaux and an assault on a deputy head in Marseille.
While the impact on school operations appears to be diminishing, with roughly 140 of the nation’s 3,500 lycées experiencing full or partial closures on Friday, the situation remains fluid. Despite the government’s recent offer of increased staffing, activists have already scheduled a follow-up day of action for next Tuesday.
