04/02/2026 – 11:35 GMT+1
A 60-year-old art teacher was stabbed on Tuesday by a 14-year-old pupil in front of some 20 other students mid-class in southern France, in the latest violent attack targeting school staff.
A 60-year-old art teacher who was stabbed multiple times by a 14-year-old student during class in southern France is in stable yet “very worrying” condition after surgery, Education Minister Édouard Geffray said on Wednesday morning.
The teacher was attacked around 2 pm on Tuesday at La Guicharde secondary school in Sanary-sur-Mer in the Var department.
The student stabbed her three to four times with a 10-centimetre Opinel knife, including twice in the abdomen and once in the arm, in front of around 20 other pupils, Toulon public prosecutor Raphaël Balland said.
The teenager was arrested in the school courtyard and placed in custody on suspicion of attempted murder. He was “not very talkative,” Balland said.
He had no criminal record for violence but was reportedly followed by child protective services following concerns about possible mistreatment at home, according to regional media.
Recent tensions the possible trigger?
Balland said investigators were aware of recent tensions between the student and teacher.
“We know there had been tensions with this teacher recently and he was angry with her, apparently because she had filed reports about him,” the prosecutor said.
He added there were “no religious or political connotations to the attack at this stage” and the student had “family problems”.
The school was evacuated following the attack and classes were cancelled for Wednesday. Meanwhile, counselling services were made available for staff and students who needed support.
Prefect Simon Babre praised the school’s teaching staff “who showed excellent reflexes in coming to the aid of the injured teacher” and calling emergency services.
Latest in series of school attacks
The stabbing is the latest violent incident in French schools that has prompted calls for further security measures and debate about youth violence against educators.
In June 2025, a 14-year-old student was charged with murdering a 31-year-old teaching assistant after stabbing her during a bag search in Nogent in eastern France.
In September 2025, a student in Benfeld stabbed his music teacher before seriously injuring himself.
The October 2020 murder of teacher Samuel Paty by an 18-year-old shocked France. Paty, 47, was beheaded outside his school in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine after showing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed during a class on freedom of expression.
According to the French Education Ministry, 911 physical and verbal assaults on educational staff were recorded in 2023, a 25% increase from the previous year.
Teachers’ unions have repeatedly called for strengthened protection measures and better resources to address students’ mental health needs.
