World News for Students of English

09-10-2026 15:00

Tens of thousands of students and teachers have taken to the streets across France to protest severe under-investment in public high schools.

Protesters are demanding immediate action over overcrowded classrooms, decaying 1970s buildings with leaking roofs and rats, and long-term teacher shortages caused by years of budget cuts.

The movement, which started in deprived Parisian suburbs, has quickly turned into a nationwide crisis. However, the protests have grown increasingly violent over the past three weeks, and resulted in thousands of arrests, damaged schools, and injuries on both sides, including a 15-year-old student who lost his hand to a police grenade.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu strongly condemned the rioting and insisted that destroying schools doesn’t solve funding problems. While police have used tear gas to disperse crowds, demonstrators accuse authorities of using heavy-handed tactics. With a presidential election just six months away, these widespread demonstrations highlight deep social political divisions across the country.

Difficult words: under-investment (providing less money or funding than is necessary for something to work properly), deprived (suffering from a lack of necessary resources, money, and good living conditions), heavy-handed (using too much force or authority to control a situation).

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