PARIS — French officials pledged to deploy 3,000 substitute teachers to understaffed schools as the government sought to defuse escalating nationwide student protests, following a day of demonstrations that drew tens of thousands of young demonstrators into the streets.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray announced the deployment during an interview with broadcaster TF1, targeting secondary institutions grappling with severe staffing shortages. The move marks the government’s first direct staffing concession since secondary school walkouts expanded into France’s largest student unrest in decades.
Discontent Mounts Across French Campuses
The unrest began on Sept. 17 at a high school in a Parisian suburb over shortages of personnel and educational resources, according to CNN. While local concessions briefly paused that initial walkout, blockades quickly spread across the capital and to cities throughout France, touching on complaints over class sizes, teacher absences and lengthy school hours.
According to the French Interior Ministry, approximately 71,500 people took part in nationwide demonstrations on Thursday, including 24,500 who gathered in Paris. Authorities reported that 375 schools were either fully or partially closed during the day, with roughly 55,000 individuals joining blockades outside campus gates.
A massive gathering at the Place de la Bastille in Paris began peacefully but later deteriorated into confrontations with security forces, who deployed tear gas and water cannons against demonstrators, Euronews reported. Since late September, police have arrested more than 6,600 people — the majority of them minors without prior records, according to ministry statistics.
Political Divide Widens Over Concessions
Student organizers and political leaders responded with deep skepticism to the education minister’s staffing announcement. Nathanaël Combary, representing the moderate union Renouveau Lycéen, told the BBC that students want to see tangible funding and practical execution before celebrating.
More radical groups took a firmer line. Sabrine Kharbach of the Union Etudiante said the union would continue taking action until 10 billion euros was committed to the system, according to the BBC.
The protests have also heightened national political friction ahead of presidential elections scheduled for next spring. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the left-wing France Unbowed party, praised the movement on social media, declaring that students had “retaken the Bastille,” Euronews reported.
Conversely, the hard-right National Rally sharply criticized the state’s overtures. Spokesman Laurent Jacobelli told the BBC that offering concessions following unrest signaled to demonstrators that “if you break things, you get given stuff.”
Budget Pressures and Approaching Mobilizations
The administration faces limited financial maneuvering room. According to the BBC, officials remain cautious about substantial new spending out of concern over international bond markets and France’s national debt. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced in a national address Wednesday that lawmakers will debate a budget next month providing 64 billion euros, roughly $71.6 billion, for the education system.
French President Emmanuel Macron previously urged law enforcement officers to demonstrate empathy when encountering young protesters on the streets, CNN reported. Meanwhile, the Education Ministry noted that more than 40,000 people have submitted feedback to a newly launched digital survey aimed at assessing pupil concerns.
Further disruptions appear likely in the coming days. Unions have called for strikes and protests on Tuesday, Oct. 13, and another large-scale mobilization is set for Saturday, Oct. 17, coinciding with planned actions by a revived “yellow vest” movement, as officials watch to see whether upcoming autumn school breaks dampen the movement.
