Up to 500 high schools across France are expected to be partially or completely closed on Monday as authorities respond to escalating student protests over poor learning conditions, teacher shortages and inadequate school facilities.
French Education Minister Édouard Geffray said lessons would be suspended at between 400 and 500 schools where security conditions could not be guaranteed.
Key Highlights
- Up to 500 French high schools could be partially or completely closed.
- Protests have spread from Paris to Montpellier, Nantes and Marseille.
- Authorities said 24 schools had been burned or ransacked.
- 78 education workers have reportedly been injured.
- French authorities said 1,747 people were arrested on Friday.
- More than 5,000 people have reportedly been arrested since the protests began.
- Protest organisers have called for further demonstrations on Tuesday.
The protests, which began last week, have spread from Paris to cities including Montpellier, Nantes and Marseille, with thousands of students taking to the streets to demand more teachers, reduced overcrowding and improvements to deteriorating school buildings.
Authorities said the demonstrations have increasingly been accompanied by violence. Geffray said 24 schools had been burned or ransacked since the protests began, while 78 education workers had sustained injuries.
French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin previously said 735 of the country’s 3,700 schools had been affected in some way by violent demonstrations.
Geffray warned that Monday could see a similar number of schools affected as those recorded during Friday’s unrest, although he said the government was working towards a gradual return to normal lessons.
The education minister also alleged that far-left activists had infiltrated the student movement and contributed to violent incidents. The claim comes as authorities seek to contain the unrest and protect students and education workers.
More Than 5,000 Arrested
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 1,747 people were arrested on Friday alone.
The AFP news agency reported that more than 5,000 people had been arrested since the protests began, with about 85 per cent reportedly minors.
Protest organisers have called for demonstrations to continue on Tuesday, accusing the government of failing to introduce concrete measures to address students’ concerns.
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French Government Announces Measures
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the government was taking additional measures to address problems affecting students and education workers.
According to Lecornu, the measures include keeping classes running, improving school facilities, reorganising school schedules and making the university admissions system more transparent.
The government is also accelerating work on a proposed “vandal-pays” law, which would require those responsible for damage to bear the cost of repairs.
The planned measures come as French authorities seek to restore normal school activities while addressing the concerns that triggered the student protests.
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