The Union Syndicale Lyceenne announced Tuesday that approximately 1,800 high schools across France were blockaded, disrupted by demonstrations or closed by authorities as students staged a nationwide mobilization against deteriorating learning conditions. Students have demanded increased staffing and resources to address overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and crumbling infrastructure, with rallies beginning in Nantes, Marseille and Lyon ahead of a major gathering at Paris' Place de la Republique.
Union Etudiante, a university student organization, reported that more than 57 university sites were under blockade and 90% of mainland French universities were affected by the movement. Education unions endorsed the mobilization and urged members to join demonstrations in Paris and roughly 30 other cities, according to French daily Le Parisien.
Police methods scrutinized
The protests intensified scrutiny of police interventions following the serious injury of a 15-year-old boy in a grenade explosion outside a school in Lens on Monday. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described the incident as a tragedy and said an investigation would determine the circumstances, noting that the teenager apparently lost a hand after a stun grenade detonated while stressing the exact cause remained uncertain.
Nunez defended police intervention when violence occurs, stating that the response must be proportionate. Teachers at Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire high school in Etampes, meanwhile, accused security forces of excessive force during unrest last Thursday, alleging that students and staff were tear-gassed, pushed and beaten.
Government promises dialogue
Education Minister Edouard Geffray said authorities aimed to begin gradually reopening affected schools from Wednesday and pledged a response within eight days to difficulties in replacing absent teachers. He also said the ministry would address concerns about building conditions and resource gaps identified during the consultations.
The Education Ministry has opened an anonymous online consultation allowing high school students to submit concerns and proposals until Oct. 23. Contributions will be summarized nationally at month’s end to inform dialogue with students, according to the ministry's statement.