French Students Continue School Protests Despite Government Pledge

French high school students continued blockading schools and marching in cities on Thursday, extending protests into their third week over teacher shortages and deteriorating school buildings. The Education Ministry said 224 schools were closed in the morning, while 151 were partially reopening, with 94% of high schools either fully or partly open.

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has promised “concrete, quick and fully funded” measures by the end of October but has not provided specific details. The protests have resulted in hundreds of arrests and dozens of injuries, while the government recently suspended the use of stun grenades by police during demonstrations.

The protests have become a major political issue ahead of next year’s presidential election. An Elabe poll found that 72% of French people consider the students’ demands legitimate, although 55% believe the protests should end, highlighting mixed public opinion over the continuing demonstrations.

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