A French art teacher is fighting for her life after being stabbed multiple times by a 14-year-old student at a school in southern France. The attack, which occurred on , has prompted calls for increased security and a re-evaluation of preventative measures in French schools.
The incident took place at the La Guicharde middle school in Sanary-sur-Mer. According to the prosecutor, Raphaël Balland, the teacher, aged 60, was attacked with a knife during an art class attended by 22 students. She sustained three or four stab wounds to the torso and underwent emergency surgery at the Sainte-Anne military hospital in Toulon. As of this morning, , her condition remains critical, though there is hope for a positive outcome following the operation.
The student, a third-year student, was apprehended at the school following the attack. Investigators are currently examining the motives behind the assault, and have indicated that “tensions” existed between the student and the teacher, with the student reportedly resenting the teacher for reporting his behavior. The prosecutor stated that the student had “visible family problems” but had no prior record of violent acts.
The attack has reignited the debate surrounding safety in French schools. Jean-Rémi Girard, president of the National Union of High Schools, Colleges, Schools and Higher Education (Snalc), noted an increase in “ultraviolent” aggressions in schools in recent years, often occurring within school premises. He cautioned that random bag checks are unlikely to prevent such incidents.
This incident follows a series of similar attacks in France in recent months. In September 2025, a teacher was attacked with a knife in Benfeld (Bas-Rhin), and another incident in Antibes (Alpes-Maritimes) saw a teacher and student injured. In June 2025, a school supervisor was fatally stabbed in Nogent (Haute-Marne) during a bag search, and in April 2025, a shooting at a lycée in Nantes resulted in one fatality and three injuries.
The French Minister of Education, Édouard Geffray, visited the school today and called for a “de-escalation of violence” both within schools and in society more broadly. He praised the “extraordinary composure” of the school staff and described the school as “exemplary” in terms of its school climate. He also noted that the school had reported suspicions of violence committed by the student’s parents against his younger sister in March 2025, but the investigation did not yield sufficient evidence to substantiate the claims. A measure of educational assistance was ordered by the juvenile judge in September 2025, including family therapy.
The prefecture of the Var department reported that 168 security operations had been conducted in local schools, resulting in the discovery of 16 weapons. However, the La Guicharde school does not employ metal detectors.
Parent-teacher associations have expressed their full support for the injured teacher and her family. Habiba Hamames, president of the FCPE (parents’ association) of the Var, stated that parents were shocked by the event and that it occurred during the return of graded papers. A teacher of physical education at the school, Tatiana Kolodziej, described the student as “troubled” but not previously violent, and indicated the attack appeared premeditated, as the knife did not originate from the school.
Trade unions are calling for increased staffing levels in schools, particularly for security measures such as bag checks. Dominique Queyroulet, a representative of the Snes-FSU union in the Var, emphasized the need for more “human resources” to prevent similar incidents.
The school will remain closed tomorrow, , but will be open for students to access support services. A psychological support unit has been established to assist students and staff affected by the attack.
