Sevran High School Protests Spotlight France’s School Infrastructure Crisis

Hundreds of teenagers from the Lycée Blaise-Cendrars in Sevran, a low-income suburb of Paris, have barricaded their school and staged daily protests. They cite overcrowded classrooms, broken chairs, leaking ceilings, mould, faulty lighting, and inadequate sanitation—some toilets lack doors, paper, or soap. The school serves more than 1,000 pupils, many of whom travel long distances on crowded buses and trains. Students say the lack of teachers forces them to study without guidance; one class went months without a French teacher before the baccalauréat, and a newly hired English-medium teacher did not speak English. Police on horseback have dispersed gatherings with tear-gas and arrests, prompting accusations of excessive force.

The Guardian

Seine-Saint-Denis, the département where Sevran lies, records the youngest population, one of the highest birthrates, and among the lowest average incomes in mainland France. The area has a history of unrest, notably the 2005 riots that led to a national emergency. Despite hosting the 2024 Paris Olympics and regional refurbishment pledges, schools remain under-funded, with high teacher turnover and limited support staff for students with disabilities or mental-health needs.

The Guardian

The French education ministry announced the deployment of 3,000 teachers to fill urgent gaps, while teachers’ unions warned that longer-term funding is still lacking. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu acknowledged that teenagers have “legitimate” concerns. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez defended the police tactics used during the protests. Stéphane Troussel, head of the Seine-Saint-Denis département council, called the policing approach “intolerable” and urged a halt to the use of rubber-bullet launchers. Sevran mayor Stéphane Blanchet expressed support for the students’ demands, noting that many of the town’s 52,000 residents feel “relegated” and forgotten by the state.

The Guardian

• “There aren’t enough chairs or desks to go round, so some students have to stand up,” — The Guardian Mohammed

The Guardian

• “We’re not asking for luxury, just the basics to learn in decent conditions,” — The Guardian Mohammed

The Guardian

• “We’re starting at an unfair advantage because our parents aren’t as rich as others, they can’t buy us books, they can’t take us to films,” — Denis. Ilian

The Guardian

• “The police look down on us as if we’re animals” — Denis. Ilian

The Guardian

• “It’s intolerable that policing is causing part of the difficulties.” — Stéphane Troussel

The Guardian

These protests underscore the gap between government promises and the lived reality of students in France’s most disadvantaged suburbs, raising questions about how quickly infrastructure and staffing improvements can be realized.

The Guardian