More than 400 schools in France will be closed or partly closed on Monday as authorities prepare for a second week of student protests. The education minister, Édouard Geffray, announced on Sunday that lessons would be totally or partly suspended in 400 to 500 schools due to unmet security conditions.

Context of the Protests

Since student unrest began last week, 24 schools have been burnt or ransacked, and 78 education staff members have been injured. Geffray noted that the number of school closures on Monday would be similar to those on Friday, but the government is considering a "partial, progressive return to lessons."

Thousands of teenagers staged widespread demonstrations last week, erecting barricades to protest against what they describe as underfunding and neglect of the education system. Clashes with riot police resulted in hundreds of injuries and over 5,000 arrests, primarily of minors, marking a significant challenge for President Emmanuel Macron's centrist administration.

Recent Developments

While there was a lull in protests over the weekend, organizers have called for renewed demonstrations on Tuesday, citing the government's failure to implement "concrete measures." Authorities have indicated that political agitators have infiltrated the protests, which began at a Paris school on September 17 and spread nationwide.