France plans to fully or partially close up to 500 schools on Monday due to safety concerns amid ongoing student protests. Education Minister Edouard Geffray announced the precautionary measures on Sunday, aiming for a "partial, progressive return to lessons." After a weekend lull, student protestors are set to resume demonstrations that began last month, citing issues such as class sizes and a lack of teachers.
Lessons will be "totally or partly suspended" in approximately 400 to 500 high schools, as security conditions have not been met, according to Geffray. He noted that 24 schools had been "burned or ransacked" since the protests began. The closures are intended as a security precaution, with protest organizers planning large-scale demonstrations on Tuesday, demanding more concrete measures from President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
Since the protests erupted in mid-September, at least 170 students and 78 educational personnel have been reported injured. The Ministry of National Education indicated that at least 400 of the 3,700 high schools in France were closed on Friday, with 560 experiencing protests or disruptions. The number of schools affected on Monday is expected to be similar to Friday's figures.
The protests began on September 17 at a high school in a Paris suburb, driven by grievances over insufficient teaching staff and excessive school hours. The movement has since expanded nationwide, leading to class strikes, blockades, and demonstrations. According to the interior minister, over 5,000 individuals have been arrested in the past week, with 85 percent being minors. Critics have condemned what they describe as "disproportionate" police violence in response to the protests. Rights group Amnesty International has stated that the concerns of student protestors should be addressed rather than suppressed. Geffray also claimed that far-left activists have infiltrated the student movement, leading to increased violence.