France Deploys 3,000 Substitute Teachers as Student Protests Swell Over School Conditions
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Oct 9
France Deploys 3,000 Substitute Teachers as Student Protests Swell Over School Conditions
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Oct 9
Summary
Édouard Geffray announced that more than 3,000 unassigned substitute teachers will be sent to schools, alongside the hiring of hundreds more staff, after meeting three major student groups.
Thousands of students again marched across France on Thursday over long school days, overcrowded classrooms and teacher absences, with Paris's Place de la Bastille filling with demonstrators and clashes with police reported by evening.
The move marks a shift from an initial response criticized as heavy-handed, but protesters were still voicing anger at what they see as a lack of decisive government action.
The unrest is hitting as France faces a broader political and financial squeeze: its 10-year bond yield reached 4.96%, the highest since July 2002, prompting EU calls for a credible budget to calm markets.