A 15-year-old student has lost a hand during a confrontation between police and demonstrators near a secondary school in northern France, as a growing wave of student protests over poor school conditions and staff shortages continues to spread across the country.

The incident occurred on Monday morning near the Auguste Béhal High School in Lens, Pas-de-Calais, prompting authorities to launch an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the teenager’s injury.

The prefect of Pas-de-Calais, François-Xavier Lauch, described the incident as “very serious” but said the student’s life was not in danger.

He said the teenager was transferred “very quickly” to a nearby hospital for treatment.

The circumstances leading to the injury remained disputed on Monday, with conflicting accounts emerging over the involvement of a police projectile.

A police union source cited by AFP said the teenager appeared to have picked up a sting-ball grenade fired by riot police, which subsequently exploded in his hand.

However, a girl who said she was standing near the teenager gave a different account to regional newspaper La Voix Du Nord, insisting that he did not pick up or catch the grenade.

“He didn’t pick it up. I was there, I saw it. He didn’t pick it up, he didn’t catch it,” she was quoted as saying.

Lens Mayor Sylvain Robert said the circumstances would have to be established before responsibility could be determined.

“Like you, and like many others, I have seen some videos showing the aftermath. But I did not see how the operation was organised, either by the police or by the students,” Robert told French media.

A regional prosecutor said the incident would be investigated by France’s police watchdog, the General Inspection of the National Police (IGPN), to ensure that “all light can be shed on what happened”.

How the confrontation started

According to prefect Lauch, a larger gathering of students had assembled outside the Auguste Béhal High School on Monday than on previous days.

He said students initially threw fireworks and mortars at local police officers deployed at the scene.

“Instructions were given by the interdepartmental director of the National Police, naturally with my approval, to deploy a company of riot police (CRS) here to maintain order, and it was in this context that this event occurred,” Lauch said.

The school subsequently suspended physical classes and switched to distance learning to protect students and staff.

In a statement, the school said the decision was taken “in light of the events that took place this morning” and announced the creation of a listening and support unit for members of the school community.

Why are French students protesting?

The confrontation in Lens is the latest escalation in a protest movement that began in late September, initially in Paris, over worsening conditions in France’s public education system.

High school students began demonstrating against shortages of teachers and other school staff, overcrowded classrooms and deteriorating school buildings.

Students have complained that teacher absences are often not adequately covered, leaving classes without regular instruction. They have also raised concerns about ageing or poorly maintained buildings, inadequate facilities and increasingly crowded classrooms.

In some schools, students say the problems have been compounded by demanding timetables and academic pressure, while protesters in poorer areas have complained about inequalities in the distribution of educational resources.

The movement subsequently spread beyond individual schools, with students organising demonstrations and school blockades across the country. University students later joined the protests, while teachers’ unions and other organisations expressed support for some of their demands.

The demonstrations have also coincided with wider opposition to government spending and budget policies, adding to tensions between protesters, unions and authorities.

Students are demanding increased investment in public education, more teachers and support staff, improved school buildings, less overcrowding and better learning conditions.

Hundreds of schools affected

The protests have disrupted hundreds of schools across France.

Education Minister Édouard Geffray said on Monday that 589 institutions had been affected, although he described the figure as a “clear decrease” compared with previous days.

Authorities had reported that 735 of France’s approximately 3,700 schools were disrupted last Friday.

Despite the decline, student organisations have called for further demonstrations, with the Union Syndicale Lycéenne urging students to take to the streets again on Tuesday.

The SNES-FSU teachers’ union has also expressed support for the students and encouraged its members to participate in the planned demonstrations.

More than 5,000 people have reportedly been arrested since the beginning of the movement, with about 85 per cent of those arrested said to be minors.

The scale of the unrest has prompted comparisons with France’s historic student and workers’ protests of 1968.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the left-wing La France Insoumise party, described the current movement as the “most powerful high school and university student youth movement” since 1968.

Student injuries heighten tensions

The Lens incident has further intensified concerns over the use of police force against young protesters.

Last week, a 14-year-old student identified as Eden was seriously injured in Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône after reportedly being struck in the head by a tear-gas grenade.

His lawyer said the teenager suffered a double jaw fracture and required “extremely major surgery”. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez subsequently announced an investigation.

Eden’s mother, speaking to French media on Monday, said her son’s injuries had left the family devastated.

“His jaw is wired shut. He can’t eat except through a straw and only liquids,” she said, describing the incident as “shameful”, “appalling” and “horrific”.

“This should not happen. They are dealing with children who are asking for better conditions in which to study,” she added.

The latest injury in Lens is likely to fuel further debate over the policing of the demonstrations, particularly as many of the protesters are teenagers.

Government seeks to calm protests

The French government has sought to respond to the students’ underlying complaints while maintaining that violence and attacks on police cannot be tolerated.

The government has announced plans for a nationwide consultation platform through which students can report problems they have experienced in their schools.

Geffray said the government hoped to resolve “most of the problematic situations” by October 16.

The administration is now under pressure to demonstrate that it can address the students’ concerns while preventing further clashes between protesters and security forces.

With more demonstrations planned, the Lens incident has become a major flashpoint in a protest movement that began with demands for better classrooms, more teachers and improved educational facilities but has now developed into a wider national confrontation over France’s education system, public spending and the government’s handling of youth protests.