French government scrambles to calm nationwide student protests

The French government has shown concessions to the student protest movement amid intense public scrutiny over police aggression during demonstrations. Several teaching unions have called for additional demonstrations on Thursday, while Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu emphasized the importance of high school students' voices and their incorporation into a "concrete action plan".

Dialogue is intended to occur in every school, but only after students resume attending classes. After weeks of school blockades, nationwide protests began on Tuesday, drawing 266,000 participants, with 56,000 in Paris according to the Interior Ministry. The demonstrations primarily involved secondary school pupils, university students, teachers, parents, and left-wing political representatives.

Some protests turned violent, resulting in 488 arrests and 43 injuries among the security forces who used tear gas. French schools suffer from poor infrastructure, including overcrowded classrooms, inadequate heating and cooling, and damaged ceilings. The country has a disproportionately high number of students per class, 29 compared to the OECD average of 26, and lengthy school hours due to a condensed curriculum and extended vacations.

School days begin at 8am and conclude at 6pm, often with interruptions throughout the day. However, the cabinet has limited financial means to address these issues as budget debates commence this week. State spending to service the national debt exceeds expenditure on education. An online consultation platform has been launched, along with a commitment to streamline university application procedures.

The government proposed a half-day of dialogue in secondary schools, a suggestion rejected by the main union for school principals who support the protest movement, along with several other workers' unions. School principals' union called for additional resources and teachers. Some blockades persisted on Wednesday, including at Sciences Po University in Paris, where police dispersed the crowd using tear gas.

Nevertheless, 86% of schools were functioning as usual, according to Education Minister Edouard Geffray. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez banned the use of stun grenades following a 15-year-old's injury, stating the measure will remain in place until the incident is fully investigated. Parents who accompanied students in the demonstration carried white bands around their arms, claiming they were there to shield their children from the police.

A former political leader, Nicolas Sarkozy, called on police to avoid confrontation with teenagers during 2006 protests, and the mother of the injured teenager rejected allegations that he had intended to throw an object at the security forces. Prime Minister Lecornu accused the hard-left political party France Unbowed of igniting the crisis, rejecting the term "police violence" as it implies political direction for police repression.

Interior Minister Nunez defended the security forces, acknowledging some violent actions by protesters against officers, resulting in hundreds of injuries. Nunez emphasized the necessity of empathy, stating that the President requested ministers to "show empathy" and provide clarity regarding security and internal affairs forces' actions during violent protests.