French authorities will shut between 400 and 500 high schools on Monday as a wave of student protests over conditions in the country’s education system intensifies, after dozens of schools were reportedly damaged during the unrest.
According to SaharaReporters, citing BBC, Education Minister Édouard Geffray said classes would be suspended at affected schools because security requirements could not be guaranteed. He disclosed that 24 schools had been burned or ransacked since the demonstrations began, while 78 education workers had sustained injuries.
The protests, which started in Paris last week, have spread to several other cities, including Montpellier, Nantes and Marseille. Students have been demanding action over issues such as teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and the deteriorating state of school facilities.
The scale of the unrest has also prompted a major security response. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said 735 of France’s 3,700 schools had been affected by the violence, while Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported 1,747 arrests on Friday alone. More than 5,000 people have reportedly been arrested since the protests began, with minors making up about 85 per cent of those detained.
The government has said it wants to gradually restore normal lessons while addressing concerns raised by students and education workers. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced measures covering school facilities, class arrangements and university admissions, while also backing faster consideration of a proposed bill that would require those responsible for vandalism to pay for repairs. Protest organisers, however, have called for more demonstrations on Tuesday, saying authorities have yet to provide concrete solutions to their demands.
