Rabat – France faced another day of high school disruptions today, with 589 schools affected during the day, according to Education Ministry figures cited by Le Monde. The number was lower than Friday, when 735 establishments were affected, but tensions remained high in several cities.
The most serious incident occurred in Lens, where a 15-year-old student lost his hand and part of his lower arm during clashes near Lycée Auguste-Béhal. Authorities initially reported that the teenager had picked up a police dispersal grenade, but prosecutors later said investigators had not established whether he picked it up or whether it landed on him. France’s police oversight body, the IGPN, opened an investigation into the incident.
The student was taken to hospital in Lille. His life was not considered to be in danger. The local prefect said around 200 to 250 students had thrown stones, fireworks and mortars at police before riot police units were deployed.
Other incidents were reported in Paris and Lille. At Lycée Vauquelin in Paris, a masked group reportedly tried to enter the school and started a fire, forcing an evacuation and the suspension of classes. The school’s head said she did not believe the attackers were students from the school. Police also used tear gas during clashes in Lille and Toulouse.
The latest figures show the scale of the unrest. France has recorded 5,060 arrests since the protests began, with 87% involving minors, according to the Justice Ministry. More than 1,800 people are facing prosecution, including 1,483 minors, while 790 cases have been dismissed. Education Minister Édouard Geffray said 190 students and 78 education workers had been injured since the start of the movement. Twenty-four schools have also been burned or seriously damaged.
The protests began in September at Lycée Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in Créteil, southeast of Paris, after teachers, parents and students raised concerns over staffing shortages. Students began blocking the school around September 21, and videos of the action spread on social media. The movement later expanded to schools across France.
Students have demanded more teachers and support staff, smaller classes, better school facilities and changes to Parcoursup, France’s university admissions system. The government has already withdrawn a proposed registration fee for non-scholarship students entering BTS programs and preparatory classes.
The Union Syndicale Lycéenne has called for another nationwide mobilization on October 6, with teachers’ unions, parents and university students also expected to participate. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s government is meanwhile preparing a bill that would make people responsible for damage caused during unrest financially liable.
