Linda, a substitute teacher who specializes in modern languages, was recently assigned to teach English at a school 60 kilometers from her home. This unusual situation has sparked wider concerns about the state of the education system, as the minister of National Education announced that approximately 3,000 substitute teachers would be mobilized in the coming days. The decision follows complaints from high school students, who are frustrated by the lack of replacement teachers in their schools. Linda was contacted on Friday, October 9, and told she would be asked to teach a subject for which she had not been trained. She described the assignment as a challenge, explaining that she would be required to travel 120 kilometers round trip for three days. "I was contacted to be proposed a subject that is not the one for which I passed the exam," Linda told BFMTV. As a modern languages teacher, she was unexpectedly assigned to teach English. She expressed frustration with the situation, saying that she felt like "a pawn" in a system that does not value teachers. Linda warned of the risks she faces if she refuses the assignment, including possible sanctions for abandoning her post. She criticized the minister of National Education, calling the situation a "false announcement" and expressing a sense of "total contempt" from the government. "What I want to say to the high school students, or even the police, is that we are all looked down upon by our ministries," she said, emphasizing that teachers and students are both suffering under a system that does not listen. Linda explained that she had tried to contest the assignment but was warned that refusing could lead to disciplinary action. "They explain to me that if I do not accept (...), I will be punished and I risk sanctions for abandoning my post," she said. She added that she does not believe her situation is an isolated case. The minister, Édouard Geffray, has stated that the mobilization of substitute teachers aims to address student concerns, particularly in exam years, where long-term absences of teachers have left some subjects without coverage. According to a recent parliamentary report, about 7.5% of teaching hours are not covered in secondary education due to the lack of replacement teachers. Substitute teachers on zone (TZR) are certified or vocational teachers who are assigned to cover absences in schools within their geographic area or nearby, if needed. They are meant to step in for teachers who are absent for more than 15 days and can teach students from 6th grade up to the final year of high school. However, Sophie Vénétitay, general secretary of the Snes-FSU, warned on BFMTV that mobilizing these substitutes could lead to a negative chain reaction. She fears that using substitutes extensively now may reduce the pool of available teachers for future replacements, especially during the winter months. Vénétitay called for "structural solutions" to address the ongoing crisis in education, arguing that temporary measures alone will not solve the underlying problems.