Paris: Teachers Protest in Support of Students, Calling to Save Education and Raise Wages

In a scene reflecting solidarity between educators and the aspirations of the younger generation, the French capital, Paris, saw a protest march on Tuesday, November 10, bringing together around 6,000 people according to estimates by the Paris Police Prefecture (Préfecture de police). The protest followed a call by an inter-union coalition of student organizations and education unions to keep pressing the French government, while the Ministry of National Education recorded a 1.55% strike participation rate among its staff by midday.

Convergence of Struggles: When Teachers Stand by Their Students

The demonstration kicked off in front of the iconic Panthéon building under the banner of the "convergence of struggles," with protesters chanting slogans emphasizing unity in the fight for the future of education. Two months after protests erupted in high schools, a number of teachers decided to take to the streets in support of their pupils, stressing that the demands of the younger generation mirror those educators have championed for years.

Leading the march was a prominent banner reading "Jacques Brel High School in Revolt," carried by around 15 of the 80 teachers from the institution in La Courneuve, a commune in Seine-Saint-Denis, who came out to back their students. Aurélien Gavois, a literature teacher at the school, described the youth mobilization as exemplary, stating that they "are demonstrating great political maturity at a time when this generation is accused of superficiality and wasting time on phones, yet they are conscious of social issues and ready to fight for the future."

Demands for Investment, Wage Increases, and an End to Crackdowns

The demands of teachers and students converge on urgent matters, notably the adoption of an investment plan to renovate school buildings, the recruitment of new educational staff, and the expansion of available spots in higher education. Teachers are also calling for an end to the wage freeze; the index point used to calculate civil service salaries has not been increased since 2023, causing a sharp decline in purchasing power amid inflation and soaring housing costs.

Anne-Claude Chaminas, a history and geography teacher, expressed frustration with living conditions relative to educational and professional qualifications, while noting that she joined the rally to denounce what she characterized as the "state's authoritarian drift." She explained that high school teachers position themselves at protest gates to protect pupils from detention and form a shield against police intervention.

Student Relief and Gaining Civic Awareness

For their part, students expressed great relief at their teachers' presence. Léon and Kaïs, two students from Jacques Brel High School, emphasized that the presence of educators lends credibility to the movement and refutes media claims framing them as manipulated pawns, noting that teachers' experience offers protection from tear gas and police kettling tactics (nassage).

In a related vein, Mathieu, an economics and social sciences teacher at Maurice Ravel High School in Paris, stressed that this mobilization serves as an intensive experience of political socialization and collective learning, despite concerns over temporary academic setbacks, praising the organizational skills and courage shown by pupils—even the shyest among them—in front of the media.