Student protests: France wants to deploy 3,000 substitute teachers in the short term

Once again, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in France to demonstrate for better conditions in schools. In response to the ongoing protests, the government has now announced the short-term deployment of over 3,000 substitute teachers.

An action plan from Education Minister Édouard Geffray envisages the use of additional teachers in the 114 high schools where the teacher shortage is most urgent, said Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. As the Education Minister said in the evening news on TF1, the additional teachers should start work between this Friday and next Tuesday.

More money provided?

Lecornu also announced that the hiring of several hundred additional employees should make it possible to meet the needs of the schools. After the autumn break, more short-term replacements by teachers already working at the schools should be possible.

The Prime Minister also promised additional money. The government will table amendments to the 2027 budget to translate certain suggestions from high school students into concrete measures, particularly in the area of ​​substitute teachers.

Government is reaching out to young people for the first time

With its announcements, the government is for the first time specifically addressing the demands of the students, who have been demonstrating for almost two weeks for better equipment in high schools, more substitute teachers and investments in the education system. Students have now also joined the protest.

According to the Interior Ministry, 24,500 people took to the streets in Paris alone on Thursday, and more than 71,500 nationwide. For the most part, the demonstrations and the blockades were peaceful. Nevertheless, 504 arrests were made during protests and 48 police officers were injured. There is outrage over the brutal police operations against the mostly underage demonstrators. The Interior Ministry reported increasing riots on the sidelines of the peaceful demonstrations.

It is questionable whether the government's announcement will be enough to end the protests. Pupils and students continue to demand significantly higher spending on education, the abolition of the central and, from their point of view, non-transparent allocation of study places and better equipment for schools.

With information from Julia Borutta, ARD Studio Paris