Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez ordered the suspension following serious injuries to teenage protesters, including a 15-year-old who lost a hand during clashes with riot police in Lens. Authorities are investigating allegations of police misconduct as demonstrations enter their third week.
The decision follows Tuesday’s nationwide mobilisation, when more than 250,000 people marched demanding additional teachers, improved facilities and greater investment in public education. The Interior Ministry estimated participation at approximately 256,000, while organisers claimed substantially higher numbers.
More than 6,500 people have been arrested since demonstrations began, many of them minors. Police have used tear gas, riot-control projectiles and other crowd-control equipment during confrontations involving barricades, burning rubbish bins and attacks on public property.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has promised to examine students’ demands and present proposals before the end of October. Education Minister Édouard Geffray has acknowledged legitimate grievances while condemning violence and damage to educational establishments.
The government estimates that 24 schools have sustained extensive damage, affecting approximately 30,000 pupils. Repair costs could reach €30 million, adding another financial burden to an education system already struggling with staffing and maintenance requirements.
The movement began in September at Saint-Exupéry high school in Créteil, southeast of Paris, where pupils supported teachers protesting against staff shortages and deteriorating working conditions. Videos circulated through social media, encouraging students at other schools to organise similar demonstrations.
Within days, protests spread through the Paris suburbs and into cities including Lyon, Lille and Marseille. More than 1,000 schools participated in demonstrations on October 1, with blockades and classroom boycotts disrupting teaching across the country.
Students complain that prolonged teacher absences leave essential subjects uncovered, sometimes for months. Others describe overcrowded classrooms, inadequate heating, deteriorating buildings and insufficient access to nurses, counsellors and specialist support staff.
Pupils approaching national examinations say missed lessons threaten their academic prospects. Their concerns have been particularly pronounced in disadvantaged neighbourhoods, where schools already face difficulties attracting and retaining qualified teachers.
Demonstrators have also challenged lengthy school days, overloaded timetables and the Parcoursup university admissions system, which some students believe places excessive pressure on teenagers making decisions about their futures.
Teachers’ unions have supported demands for additional resources, arguing that persistent recruitment difficulties and insufficient replacement staff have undermined educational provision. Parent organisations have likewise expressed solidarity while urging authorities to protect children and restore normal teaching.
The Federation of Councils of Parents of Students has endorsed calls for better learning conditions. Its vice-president, Mustafa Ozcelik, has highlighted shortages of teachers and school medical personnel alongside difficulties maintaining acceptable classroom temperatures.
The protests have nevertheless generated divisions over tactics. School principals and teachers have condemned vandalism, intimidation and attacks on educational staff, warning that violence threatens pupils’ safety and undermines demands for reform.
Police maintain that interventions are necessary to prevent disorder and protect public facilities. Human rights advocates and lawyers have questioned whether the force deployed against teenage demonstrators has been proportionate, particularly following injuries involving riot-control weapons.
Nuñez has defended the overall policing response while acknowledging the need to investigate individual incidents. Authorities have identified 18 cases of alleged police misconduct for examination, and one officer has faced charges relating to violent mutilation.
Public opinion reflects the competing concerns. Polling indicates that approximately 72% of respondents support the students’ underlying demands, although 55% believe demonstrations should stop, suggesting sympathy for educational grievances alongside unease about prolonged disruption.
The unrest has complicated preparations for France’s 2027 budget, with the government facing pressure to contain expenditure while responding to demands for greater investment in schools. Education spending remains a substantial commitment, but unions question whether planned allocations adequately address staffing gaps.
The Education Ministry has opened a national consultation through its Agora platform, inviting secondary school students to submit anonymous accounts of their experiences and proposals for improvement.
Follow Arabian Post
Select Arabian Post as your preferred source on Google and MSN News for trusted business news and Arab politics and updates.
