Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has ordered ministers to address students' five major demands as protests continue across France. Hundreds of schools remained fully or partially closed on Monday as teenagers blockaded buildings, marking the largest youth protest movement in years.

Incident in Lens

A 15-year-old boy protesting against what demonstrators describe as France's dilapidated and understaffed schools lost his hand on Monday in the northern town of Lens. Local prefect François-Xavier Lauch confirmed that the teenager was injured after picking up a police stun grenade. An investigation into the incident has been opened.

Government Response

In an effort to calm the protests, Lecornu acknowledged the grievances of schoolchildren as "legitimate" and emphasized the need for the government to listen. He instructed ministers to address the following key demands:

  • Organizing the replacement of absent teachers, acknowledging that students in some areas miss months of teaching due to staff shortages, especially in crucial exam years.
  • Reviewing France's lengthy school days, which are among the longest in Europe.
  • Addressing repairs to dilapidated school buildings.

Students have reported severe conditions in classrooms, including water leaks, cockroaches, collapsing ceilings, and unbearable heat during summer months. Lecornu has set a deadline for ministers to propose solutions by the end of the month.

Union Criticism

Sophie Binet, head of the leftwing CGT trade union, criticized the government's delayed response to the students' demands. She noted that the number of absent teachers not replaced has doubled over the past decade, leading to record-high class sizes. "Amid such anger, a few measures just for show aren’t going to satisfy demands," Binet stated, calling for an end to budget cuts and reductions in teaching positions.