French students vow to continue nationwide protests after government agrees to deploy 3,000 teachers to understaffed schools

French student unions vowed to continue nationwide protests after the government agreed to immediately deploy around 3,000 qualified teachers to schools facing staff shortages, a concession protesters described as their first significant victory. Student and teacher unions have called for another nationwide strike next Tuesday.

The protests, now in their third week, have expanded from high schools to universities, with 141 schools still closed and 71,500 people taking part in demonstrations across France on Thursday. Nearly 10% of teaching hours at French public high schools are currently unstaffed.

The movement began in the Paris suburbs in September over teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and deteriorating school facilities before spreading across France and drawing support from university students and education unions.