About 30 teachers at Lycée Balzac in Tours exercised their right to withdraw from work on 11 November, making staff protection an immediate operational issue for the school. BFMTV reported that they cited threats against the headteacher and the discovery near the school of items described as necessary to make Molotov cocktails.
The withdrawal does not itself resolve the situation, but it draws a concrete line: a school cannot simply expect staff to maintain normal operations when they consider that they face a serious and imminent danger. The immediate question is not only whether lessons may be disrupted, but what effective protection is in place for the people expected to keep the school open.
Julien Roy, a SNALC member quoted by BFMTV, said management had to open the school on Monday while there was a bin fire outside and aerosols inside. He also said several education assistants had been targeted with fireworks mortars after the school break, and that the deputy headteacher took sick leave after the intervention. Those details are union accounts reported by the broadcaster.
The available material gives no response from the education authority, school management or police. It also does not say how long the withdrawal will last or which classes are affected. That does not diminish the practical consequence of the teachers’ action: the reported incidents are now affecting the school’s ability to operate. What follows will depend on protection measures offered to staff and on the handling of the reported incidents.
Sources
- BFMTV Actualités · Source date: 2026-11-11
Independent editorial content. WUA is not affiliated with any political party. 2026-11-11