France pledges more teachers after student protesters vow not to let up

PARIS: France's education minister Edouard Geffray has pledged to deploy 3,000 substitute teachers to the country's most struggling high schools, following weeks of protests by students demanding better education conditions and an end to police brutality. Over 71,500 people participated in demonstrations nationwide, with more than 500 individuals detained by police.

In Paris, where approximately 24,500 protesters gathered in Bastille Square, students hung signs from a bus stop, including one that read, "Reason for absence: Too busy fighting for our future." Young protesters expressed concerns about unfair educational opportunities and excessive police force during the demonstrations. The government has suspended the use of stun grenades following a 15-year-old student who lost a hand after being hit by one.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu promised a plan to address the crisis by the end of October, though many students remained skeptical. Education Minister Roland Lescure acknowledged the need to allocate more school resources within the 2027 budget, which already includes a 1.4% increase in funding for secondary education. However, earlier academic assessments show France's education system performs worse than the OECD average, particularly at the primary school level.