The Ministry of National Education has confirmed that the use of stun grenades has been paused pending review, a measure described in the accompanying communiqué as a recalibration of available instruments. The pause follows an incident in Pas-de-Calais in which a 15-year-old’s hand was removed during a confrontation with police. The prefect has stated that the young man’s life is not in danger and that the incident is being treated as very serious.
Tear gas was deployed in Paris and Marseille as demonstrations over classroom resources grew. The crowds, mostly teenagers, called for greater investment in schools and an end to what they describe as police repression. Approximately 735 schools have been disrupted. A national day of action has been scheduled, and relevant departments have been asked to prepare contingency documentation for the occasion.
Within the Ministry, a parallel workstream on school supply lists remains open. Officials are reviewing whether the inventory of pencils, exercise books and classroom paper should be classified as a shared resource or an individual one. A working group has been established to determine which body holds jurisdiction over the sharpening of pencils. The working group has not yet convened, as its membership is pending a separate review.
Officials in Brussels and Berlin have requested briefings on the matter. Those requests have been logged.