France’s education minister announced that Monday may see up to five hundred high schools shut for safety reasons following flared clashes between students and riot police. The report comes after a wave of demonstrations demanding more teachers, improved infrastructure and safer classrooms.
The minister said that 400 to 500 schools are under review for partial or total closures based on security conditions. Twenty‑four schools have already been burned or ransacked since the start of the unrest, and authorities estimate 735 schools nationwide have been impacted to some degree.
Students from Paris, Montpellier, Nantes and Marseille have staged protests across the country. They accuse the government of ignoring their calls for more substitutes, better facilities and training for staff. In turn, the education minister blamed far‑left groups for hijacking the movement and sparking extreme violence, noting 78 staff members have been wounded in recent clashes.
More than five thousand arrests have already been recorded, with about eighty‑five percent of the detainees being minors. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported that 1,747 people were arrested on Friday alone.
In response, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu pledged to accelerate policy review, improve school safety, streamline class schedules and make university admissions more transparent. He also announced a review of the vandal‑pays bill to hold those responsible for property damage accountable.
Organisers plan to keep protesting on Tuesday, demanding concrete steps from the government. The situation remains fluid, and officials promise a phased return to lessons as the government works to restore order and address the core grievances of students and teachers alike.
