The French government has promised to deploy 3,000 additional substitute teachers in the coming days following weeks of student protests over teacher shortages and inadequate resources in secondary schools.
Education Minister Edouard Geffray announced the measure in a television interview on Thursday evening, marking the government’s first major concession to protesters demanding increased investment in education.
The demonstrations have continued across the country, with authorities reporting 6,877 arrests since the protests began. About 86 per cent of those arrested are under the age of 18.
On Thursday, an estimated 71,000 people took part in demonstrations nationwide, including 24,000 who gathered at the Bastille in Paris. Police used tear gas to disperse groups accused of attacking officers with paving stones and homemade fireworks.
Violence was also reported in Bordeaux, where protesters ransacked a high school, and in Marseille, where a deputy headteacher was beaten.
Geffray said new software introduced by the Education Ministry would help deploy the 3,000 substitute teachers to about 500 high schools with the most severe staffing shortages. He also promised additional funding for teachers willing to work overtime to cover vacant teaching hours.
However, student leaders have questioned whether the measures will adequately address their demands, insisting that the government must commit substantially more money to education.
Sabrine Kharbach of the Union Etudiante said the movement would continue until the government committed €10 billion to education. Nathanaël Combary of Renouveau Lycéen said students wanted to see concrete results rather than announcements.
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Meanwhile, the French government is facing pressure to contain the unrest without making major new spending commitments, amid concerns over the country’s public debt.
The protests are unfolding against a wider backdrop of social discontent, including anger over rising fuel prices and difficulties in the farming sector. Another day of student demonstrations has been called for Tuesday, while a revived Yellow Vest movement has scheduled protests for October 17.
