High school pupils turn out for new protests across France

Across France, high school students participated in a series of protests on Thursday, despite government efforts to quell the ongoing crisis that has dominated the country for days. Over a week of blockades at hundreds of high schools has led to the presence of riot police, with occasional violent clashes. Associations of high school children urged mobilization on Thursday as protests expanded, with university student unions joining, a rally planned in Paris, and national education unions calling for a general strike.

Though largely peaceful, some demonstrations have resulted in fires and vandalism, with police deploying tear gas, batons, and blast balls, sparking accusations of excessive force by rights groups and the children themselves. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu addressed the situation in a televised speech on Wednesday evening, promising a crisis response plan by the end of October, though many students were skeptical.

In response, Education Minister Edouard Geffray promised an "emergency plan" for teacher replacements within "a few hours or a few days" after a meeting with students. Student demonstrators, mostly aged between 15 and 18 years old, have expressed concerns over missing teachers, overcrowded timetables, dilapidated classrooms, and facilities that cannot handle increasing temperatures.

The government has allocated additional funding for schools within the 2027 budget, with a 1.4 percent increase to education, but students argue that responsibility for infrastructure lies with regional governments. Recent OECD data shows that France spends 24 percent more per student on upper secondary education than the OECD average but significantly less on primary education.

The unrest has led to injuries for hundreds of students, police, and teaching staff, with over 6,500 arrests, including a 15-year-old who lost a hand after police fired a stun grenade. The government has suspended the use of stun grenades and opened 18 internal investigations into allegations of misconduct. The protests have occurred just months before the 2027 presidential election, and the far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is leading in the polls despite a conviction for corruption.