France to send about 3,000 teachers to schools amid high school student protests
In short
French Education Minister Edouard Geffray said about 3,000 teachers will be sent to French schools, citing teacher shortages as one cause of protests by high school students. RIA Novosti reported that a ministry programme identified 114 lycées with a "red status" and 400 with an "orange" one. Kommersant, citing AFP, reported that the teachers will go to 114 schools most affected by staff shortages.
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French Education Minister Edouard Geffray said about 3,000 teachers will be sent to French schools amid protests by high school students. TASS reported that the minister named the teacher shortage as one of the reasons for the protests. According to RIA Novosti, Geffray said on the TF1 television channel that the teachers would start work within hours in schools facing a "very problematic" situation. Kommersant, citing AFP, reported that the teachers would go to the 114 schools most affected by staff shortages. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
RIA Novosti reported that the schools were identified with a special programme that the ministry requested a year ago and first used at the start of the current school year. "114 lycées I would give a red status, another 400 orange," the minister was quoted as saying. [ 2 ]
Geffray also said school directors would be allowed to hire several hundred more teachers beyond set limits where needed, RIA Novosti reported. Schools will receive early funding to pay for several hundred thousand hours of extra work under the "teachers' pact" programme, and directors will be able to pay volunteer teachers to replace sick or absent colleagues. The minister put the cost at several million or even several tens of millions of euros by the end of the year. [ 2 ]
According to RIA Novosti, high school students have been protesting since mid-September, blocking schools and demanding more education funding and better study conditions. Kommersant reported that protesters cite a shortage of teachers, run-down school buildings and overloaded timetables. It reported that the protests have involved arson, vandalism and clashes with police, and, citing the Interior Ministry, that more than 71,500 people have taken part and more than 500 have been detained. [ 2 , 3 ]
Kommersant, citing AFP, reported that Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu promised to present a detailed plan to exit the crisis by the end of October, and that Economy Minister Roland Lescure spoke of the possibility of extra resources in the 2027 budget. Education spending is planned to rise by 1.4% to 90.9 billion euros. Kommersant also reported that public and private primary, middle and high schools were short of 3,200 teachers, citing too few candidates for vacancies, rising mid-career resignations and fewer students choosing teaching. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The measure is a government response to student protests that RIA Novosti says have run since mid-September, and that Kommersant reports involved more than 71,500 people and over 500 detentions. Kommersant also reports that the prime minister has promised a detailed plan to resolve the crisis by the end of October, so further measures may follow.
Key facts
- Education Minister Edouard Geffray said about 3,000 teachers will be sent to French schools. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Geffray said a teacher shortage was one of the reasons for the high school students' protests. [ 1 ]
- According to RIA Novosti, a ministry programme identified 114 lycées with a "red status" and 400 more with an "orange" one. [ 2 ]
- School directors will be allowed to hire several hundred more teachers beyond set limits where needed, RIA Novosti reported. [ 2 ]
- Geffray estimated the cost of the measures at several million or even several tens of millions of euros by the end of the year, RIA Novosti reported. [ 2 ]
- Citing the Interior Ministry, Kommersant reported that more than 71,500 people took part in the protests and police detained more than 500. [ 3 ]
- Kommersant, citing AFP, reported that Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu promised a detailed plan to exit the crisis by the end of October. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- France's education ministry will send about 3,000 teachers to schools. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The announcement was made against the background of protests by high school students. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Education Minister Edouard Geffray made the announcement. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- 114 schools were identified as most affected. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the 3,000 teachers go only to the 114 schools or also to the 400 "orange" lycées. Kommersant, citing AFP, says the teachers go to 114 schools; RIA Novosti mentions 114 "red" and 400 "orange" lycées without saying how the teachers will be distributed.
- Whether the 3,000 are replacement teachers. TASS describes them as replacement teachers; the other outlets do not.
- The exact cost of the measures. The minister gave only a range of several million to several tens of millions of euros by the end of the year.
- Details of the prime minister's plan to resolve the crisis. Kommersant reports only that a detailed plan was promised by the end of October.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- TASS reports that the French education ministry will send 3,000 replacement teachers to schools amid protests (8 October). [ 1 ]
- RIA Novosti reports Geffray's TF1 remarks on 114 "red" and 400 "orange" lycées and the extra staffing measures (9 October). [ 2 ]
- Kommersant, citing AFP, reports the plan to send 3,000 teachers to 114 schools, along with protest and budget figures (9 October). [ 3 ]