French Guiana Pupils Protest Run-Down Schools
Society: French Guiana
Key Facts
—Who. Pupils at high schools (lycées) in Cayenne, Kourou, Matoury and western French Guiana, with local and national teacher unions.
—What. Pupils have blocked or picketed schools since Friday 2 October, citing heat, broken toilets, decaying buildings and missing staff. France-Guyane counted about ten young people detained on 5 and 6 October, several in police custody.
—Where. French Guiana, an overseas region of France on the South American mainland, between Suriname and Brazil.
—Money. The local government (CTG) says €821,000 (about US$920,000) of urgent safety works began at one Cayenne school in September and run to May 2027.
—Status. Reports come from local media and officials. We know of no charges against any detainee.
—As of. 7 October 2026, 23:00 GMT.
Pupils across French Guiana have protested for days over sweltering classrooms, broken toilets and missing teachers. About ten young people were detained on Monday and Tuesday, according to France-Guyane, the territory’s main daily.
What We Know
French Guiana’s pupils follow the French school system. Their schools are caught up in a national student movement that drew 266,000 marchers across France on Tuesday 6 October, according to the Interior Ministry (organisers said 450,000), as reported by the education news site VousNousIls.
Locally, the complaints are about daily conditions. A pupil at Melkior-Garré in Cayenne described mould, rusting metal and a fear that the old building could fall down, Guyane la 1ère reported; the unions list rooms that are too hot, poorly kept buildings and staff shortages.
On Monday 5 October, pupils blocked several schools, among them Larivot in Matoury, near Cayenne. Bins were set alight there, and Péyi Guyane, a private local radio and TV station, reported that officers used tear gas.
On Friday 2 October, scuffles in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, on the border with Suriname, led to one arrest, according to Péyi Guyane. Protests have since reached Cayenne, Kourou and the west.
About Ten Detained in Two Days
France-Guyane counted a good ten young people detained on 5 and 6 October, several of them in police custody. On Monday, three pupils were held outside Larivot on suspicion of violence against officers, and two more were held in the west, in Mana and Saint-Laurent.
On Tuesday, seven people were detained, with reasons including a bin fire, carrying a knife, covering faces in a crowd and carrying hydrochloric acid. At Kourou, home of Europe’s spaceport, one of two people held outside the Gaston-Monnerville school was an adult, not a pupil.
Some detainees were released after questioning. A later France-Guyane report speaks of 13 people in custody, but we could not read its full count.
What the Prefect, the Rector and the CTG Said
Prefect Antoine Poussier, the French state’s top official in the territory, and the rector, who heads the local school system, issued a joint statement on Monday. They condemned “violent developments that are not acceptable”.
On Tuesday, pupils from Melkior-Garré marched to the Collectivité territoriale de Guyane (CTG), the local government. Seven pupils and three teachers met CTG vice-president Philippe Bouba and senior officials for almost two hours, according to Guyane la 1ère.
The CTG told them that €821,000 (about US$920,000, at EUR/USD 1.1204 on 7 October per EODHD) of urgent safety works began in September and will run to May 2027. Officials listed toilets, the library and workshops among the targets.
Pupil Sydney said the answers were not those pupils had hoped for, and that no works were visible yet. Chahine called the safety plan a pleasant surprise, though repairs at Melkior had been discussed for fifteen years.
The CTG is in transition. Its president, Gabriel Serville, died on 30 September.
Unions Back the Pupils but Differ on Strikes
The unions support the pupils’ demands but split on tactics, Guyane la 1ère reported. STEG-UTG and SUD-Education back strikes by staff alongside the pupils, while the reformist SE-Unsa did not call one.
SE-Unsa’s Ingrid Mencé said the movement remains one led by pupils, and that her union wants to avoid political exploitation. SUD-Education’s Sabine Lagrèze said commitments in a March 2025 agreement had not all been kept, and that some classes hold 27 or 28 pupils instead of the 25 the unions asked for.
The National Picture
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that lessons would be suspended for the week to make room for discussions with pupils. School leaders called the plan improvised and ambiguous, VousNousIls reported.
Groups including the Ligue des droits de l’Homme, a human-rights league, accuse the government of disproportionate force against young people, Péyi Guyane reported. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the police response must be proportionate and adapted.
On Wednesday 7 October, firefighters were called out again to bin fires near Georges-Othily high school in Matoury, France-Guyane reported. National unions including Snes-FSU, CGT, FO, Sud and UNSA have called a strike for Thursday 8 October.
What Is Not Known
It is not known whether any detainee will be charged, or whether anyone was detained on Wednesday. The final custody count is unclear, because reports differ.
We do not know whether pupils in French Guiana will join Thursday’s national action. Only the Melkior-Garré works have a published timetable.
What It Means for Travelers and US Readers
French Guiana is part of France and the European Union, which makes this a story about a French territory in South America rather than a foreign government. Kourou, where a protest led to detentions, hosts Europe’s spaceport.
No disruption beyond school sites and nearby streets has been reported in the coverage we reviewed. Visitors should follow local prefecture notices and their own government’s travel advice, and expect police presence near schools.
More: French Guiana news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are students in French Guiana protesting?
They say classrooms are too hot, toilets lack basics and buildings are decaying. They also complain of missing teachers and too few staff.
Is French Guiana part of France?
Yes, it is an overseas region of France on the South American mainland. Its local government is the Collectivité territoriale de Guyane (CTG).
How many students were detained?
France-Guyane counted about ten young people detained on 5 and 6 October, several of them in police custody. Some have been released, and a later report speaks of 13 people in custody.
What has the local government done?
A CTG official told pupils that €821,000 (about US$920,000) of urgent safety works began at Melkior-Garré in September. They are due to finish in May 2027.
Sources
Guyane la 1ère (CTG meeting) · France-Guyane (detentions) · France-Guyane (Georges-Othily) · Péyi Guyane (prefecture) · Guyane la 1ère (unions) · Guyane la 1ère (5 October blockades) · VousNousIls (national figures)
Connected Coverage
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief