Bag searches won't solve school violence in France, unionist says after fatal stabbing

Published on 11/06/2025 - 15:33 GMT+2

Bag checks, information cameras and gates will not lick nan problem of unit astatine schools successful France, a teachers' national typical told Euronews aft a 14-year-old student allegedly stabbed a school adjunct to decease successful nan northeastern municipality of Nogent.

The boy stabbed nan 31-year-old adjunct respective times during a container cheque astatine Françoise Dolto School successful Nogent, adjacent Dijon, connected Tuesday, location authorities said.

A constabulary serviceman progressive successful nan checks suffered a insignificant wounded erstwhile nan student was arrested, nan authorities said. The student is now being questioned by police, according to nan Haute-Marne Prefecture. No motive has yet been established.

"We are profoundly saddened. A full organization is successful mourning, a full state is successful mourning," said Maxime Reppert, vice-president of nan National Union of Secondary Schools and Higher Education (SNALC).

"Beyond nan sadness, location is indignation and anger, because unluckily this is not nan first clip that humor has been spilt successful a school," he told Euronews.

Though deadly incidents successful French schools are rare, location is increasing interest astir unit connected campuses. The authorities introduced container checks and vowed "stronger deterrence and stricter penalties" aft a 17-year-old was fatally stabbed extracurricular a assemblage during a confrontation betwixt rival gangs successful nan Essonne section successful March.

Between precocious March and precocious May, 6,000 checks resulted successful 186 knives being seized while 32 group were arrested, according to France's acquisition ministry.

Yet Reppert said "we're not tackling nan problem of younker unit pinch random searches, cameras aliases gates", calling alternatively for a attraction connected nan intelligence wellness of young people, and acquisition for nan families of students.

"We are convinced that schools cannot do everything. We request to make families much responsible and thief parents who request it", he added.

Government pledges action

Reppert besides said that authorities successful France should not let nan property of a fishy to beryllium utilized an "excuse" successful cases of younker violence.

"We judge that a 15-year-old who has a limb and commits a crime should beryllium punished. He knows what he's doing astatine that age," he said.

"We request to make young group much responsible and we request to reconstruct authority, nan authority of adults, nan authority of teachers", nan waste and acquisition unionist added.

Following nan fatal stabbing successful Nogent, French President Emmanuel Macron wrote connected X that nan school adjunct was "the unfortunate of a senseless activity of violence".

"The federation is successful mourning and nan authorities is mobilised to trim crime," he said.

Prime Minister Francois Bayrou told lawmakers connected Tuesday that nan authorities "intends to move towards experimenting pinch information gates astatine nan entranceway to schools".

"We cannot stay indifferent and watch this advancing activity pinch our arms lowered," he said.

Regional charismatic Denis Devallois said nan alleged fishy successful nan fatal stabbing connected Tuesday did not person a constabulary record. France's Education Minister Elisabeth Borne said nan boy had been a student typical successful nan school’s anti-bullying programme, and had been concisely suspended earlier this twelvemonth for disrupting class.