‘We’re not asking for luxury’: school protesters in Paris suburb feel abandoned by French state

Massive demonstrations across France have shut down hundreds of schools this week as teenagers protest crumbling infrastructure, widespread teacher shortages, and deep-seated educational inequality. The nationwide youth movement, described as the largest in decades, has seen hundreds of thousands take to the streets, met by heavy police responses that have drawn sharp scrutiny from human rights advocates.

At the center of the unrest are high schools in Seine-Saint-Denis, an economically disadvantaged region northeast of Paris. Students at the Lycée Blaise-Cendrars in the suburban town of Sevran have blockaded their building, asserting that deteriorating physical conditions and chronic understaffing have made normal learning impossible. The school has a history of demonstrations over building decay, including a widely shared video in 2024 highlighting substandard facilities, but students say promised renovations have failed to solve basic problems.

Photographs shared by pupils show ceilings with holes, extensive mold, buckets collecting water leaks, and broken desks and chairs that frequently leave students standing during lessons. Crucial basic supplies are often missing, with teenagers reporting restrooms lacking doors, running water, toilet paper, or soap. During severe summer heat, pupils endured classrooms with no window coverings where temperatures reached extreme levels, alongside severe shortages of science equipment and digital projectors.

Staffing shortages have created further disruptions. Students report waiting months for replacements when teachers are absent, leaving some exam-year pupils unprepared for crucial national baccalaureate assessments. The French education ministry announced plans this week to deploy 3,000 instructors to address staffing voids, but teachers unions responded with skepticism, arguing that temporary measures fall short of the comprehensive funding needed to fix structural problems.

Tensions have escalated into violent clashes around blockades, leading to thousands of arrests nationwide. Rights monitors raised alarms after severe injuries were reported, including one minor losing an eye and another losing a hand. In Sevran, teenagers described mounted officers charging at crowd gatherings and firing tear gas. Stéphane Troussel, president of the Seine-Saint-Denis departmental council, criticized the security response and called for an end to specific rubber-bullet launchers, though French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez has defended police actions.

Local leaders, including Sevran Mayor Stéphane Blanchet, have backed the students, warning that residents feel neglected by the central government. Even French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu acknowledged that the demonstrators have valid grievances. Despite Seine-Saint-Denis co-hosting the 2024 Olympic Games and receiving various state initiatives over the years, the department continues to struggle with high poverty rates and under-resourced public services compared to neighboring Paris.

While students express worry about missing classes and falling behind on crucial coursework, they maintain that direct action is their only recourse to secure basic educational resources. Demonstrators have voted to continue their protests into the coming week, demanding formal guarantees from education authorities before returning to their desks.