French Minister of Education Edouard Geffray promised to send 3,000 teachers to replace those in secondary schools that are most affected by the shortage of educators, LETA reports citing AFP. The decision followed more than a week of student protests. Students are blocking entrances to hundreds of high schools, and in some places, the demonstrations have escalated into clashes with the police. According to the French Ministry of the Interior, about 71,500 people participated in protests across the country. Most protested near their educational institutions. More than 500 people were detained. The main participants in the protests are high school students aged 15 to 18. Their dissatisfaction is related not only to the lack of teachers but also to overloaded schedules and the condition of the schools themselves. Students complain about worn-out classrooms and buildings that are poorly adapted for studying during extreme heat. Against the backdrop of ongoing protests, the Minister of Education announced the first specific measures. In the coming days, additional teachers are expected to appear in 114 schools where the staffing situation is assessed as most challenging. There are about 3,700 such educational institutions in France. The teachers sent there will temporarily replace absent teachers. Thus, while only a small portion of schools will receive additional staff, it involves 3,000 replacement teachers. Authorities hope this will help alleviate the staffing problem, which has become one of the main reasons for the current school protests.
