PARIS

A teacher at a school in southern France was critically injured Tuesday after being stabbed by a 14-year-old pupil.

"A teacher was the victim of a knife attack at a middle school in (the town of) Sanary-sur-Mer," Education Minister Edouard Geffray wrote on the US social media company X’s platform.

The 60-year-old female art teacher was stabbed in the chest by the pupil in front of around 20 other students at La Guicharde secondary school, according to media reports citing local officials.

Toulon's public prosecutor Raphael Balland said that so far, all they know is that there had been tensions with this teacher recently and the student was angry with her.

The school was evacuated after the attack while Wednesday's lessons were reportedly cancelled.

"My thoughts immediately go to the victim, her family and the entire educational community, whose deep shock I share," Geffray said.