France Education Protests Draw Tens of Thousands, Prompting Government Concessions

Thousands of students took to the streets across France on Thursday, demanding increased education funding and improved conditions in schools, as protests continued to spread nationwide.

According to the French Interior Ministry, around 71,500 people joined demonstrations across the country, including 24,500 in Paris. Police made more than 500 arrests during the latest day of protests.

In response to mounting pressure, Education Minister Edouard Geoffray announced that 3,000 additional teachers would be deployed to priority schools between Friday and Tuesday. He also said authorisation had been given for the recruitment of several hundred more teachers.

Movement spreads nationwide

The protest movement began on 21 September at a secondary school in a deprived district of Paris and has since expanded across the country.

Students are calling for:

• increased funding for education;
• renovations of school buildings;
• reduced teaching hours;
• improved learning conditions.

University students and additional trade unions have since joined the movement.

A coordinating committee representing student and professional organisations has announced a new nationwide day of action on 13 October.

 

 

Police tactics under scrutiny

At the same time, police tactics have come under increasing criticism.

Human rights organisations have accused security forces of using excessive force, with several protesters reportedly injured.

Among the most serious cases were:

• a teenager who lost a hand;
• another teenager who suffered a severe jaw fracture following the explosion of a stun grenade.

The use of such grenades during demonstrations has since been banned.

Authorities, however, also reported injuries among police officers and teachers, attributing some of the violence to protesters.

According to Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, since 28 September:

• 215 students have been injured;
• 89 teachers have been injured;
• 761 police officers and gendarmes have been injured;
• 6,629 people have been detained or arrested.

Police have also opened 18 internal investigations into complaints against officers.

Pressure on government

Authorities said 375 schools were fully or partially closed on Thursday, while around 24 schools had suffered arson attacks or other damage.

The demonstrations are placing additional pressure on the outgoing government of President Emmanuel Macron as parliament debates the 2027 budget.

Spending on education is set to rise by 1.4% to €90.9 billion, representing the second-largest increase among government spending categories after defence.

Lecornu condemned the unrest and accused political figures of exploiting public anger for electoral purposes.

He has instructed ministers to present an action plan addressing students' concerns by the end of the month.

Despite the government's concessions, protesters remain sceptical, arguing that officials are offering promises rather than concrete measures and insisting demonstrations will continue until their demands are met.

Source: Al Jazeera, Reuters, APA