French High School Students Protest; Education Official Responds
Listen to the story
Students in French high schools have been taking part in a mobilisation, protesting over issues in the education system. Edouard Geffray, a senior education official, has commented on the situation.
Geffray praised the protests, describing them as a movement showing political awareness among young people. This means students are learning to think about and engage with political issues.
However, he also pointed out a serious cost of the movement. He said "tens of thousands" of students had been unable to attend their normal lessons because of the protests.
To deal with the disruption, the government announced it will send 3,000 substitute teachers into high schools. These are teachers who temporarily take the place of regular staff.
The far-right party RN (National Rally) strongly criticized this decision. The party accused the government of "legitimising violence," suggesting the plan to send in extra staff rewards disruptive behaviour rather than punishing it.
One RN statement summed up their view with the phrase: "You break things, you get something in return," implying that the protests have been rewarded instead of addressed firmly.
Meanwhile, in Paris, students taking part in the demonstrations expressed confidence in their cause. One protester said, "We know where we are going and what we want," showing a clear sense of purpose behind the movement.
The situation remains tense, with different political voices offering very different interpretations of the same events — some seeing a positive sign of youth engagement, others warning about the consequences of lost classroom time and the risk of excusing disruptive actions.
Vocabulary8 words
- mobilisation
- an organised protest or action by many people
- political awareness
- understanding and caring about political issues
- tens of thousands
- a very large number, for example 20,000 to 90,000
- substitute teachers
- teachers who temporarily replace other teachers
- RN
- National Rally, a far-right political party in France
- legitimising violence
- making violent actions seem acceptable or normal
- purpose
- a clear reason or aim for doing something
- consequences
- results or effects of an action, often negative
📚 Ready to use these words in a real conversation?
Practice live with a real tutor on Preply.
Quiz
Answer key
1. They show political awareness among young people 2. They said it legitimises violence 3. False
✅ Nice work on the quiz!
Keep the momentum going — book a live English lesson with a Preply tutor.
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Students in French high schools have been taking part in a _____, protesting over issues in the education system.
Geffray praised the protests, describing them as a movement showing _____ among young people.
He said "_____" of students had been unable to attend their normal lessons.
The government announced it will send 3,000 _____ into high schools.
The far-right party RN accused the government of "_____," suggesting the plan rewards disruptive behaviour.
One RN statement used the phrase: "You break things, you get something in _____."
In Paris, one protester said, "We know where we are going and what we _____."
Different political voices are offering very different _____ of the same events.
Discussion questions
- Do you think student protests can lead to political awareness? Why or why not?
- Is sending substitute teachers a good solution when students protest? What else could schools do?
- Do you agree with the RN that this response 'legitimises violence'? Explain your view.
- Have you ever taken part in or seen a student protest? What happened?
🎓 Enjoyed this story?
Turn today's reading into real speaking practice with a live Preply tutor.
