Thousands gathered at the Bastille in Paris hours before the French government made its first concession to the students. The government has promised 3,000 extra supply teachers in the coming days to address the ongoing protests by high-school students.
Government's Concession
Education Minister Edouard Geffray announced the offer during a television interview on Thursday evening, following a day marked by sometimes violent demonstrations. Since the protests began, which focus on demands for more resources in secondary education, the government reports that 6,877 people have been arrested, with 86% of those under the age of 18.
In what unions have termed Act Four of the three-week movement, approximately 71,000 people protested across the country on Thursday, with 24,000 gathering at the Bastille. Police intervened with tear gas to disperse groups that attacked them with paving stones and homemade fireworks. Notably, a lycée in Bordeaux was ransacked, and a deputy-head in Marseille was assaulted.
On Friday, around 140 lycées out of 3,500 were either totally or partially closed, a significant decrease from previous days. However, another day of action has been scheduled for next Tuesday.
Addressing Teacher Shortages
Geffray's announcement marks the first material concession to the protesters' complaints. It has been widely recognized that many school hours are lost due to absent teachers and the lack of available supply staff. The minister stated that new software would enable the allocation of 3,000 supply teachers to the 500 lycées identified as most in need, particularly in high-immigration city suburbs where teacher shortages are most acute.
