French riot police were deployed to manage the protests on Friday. Up to 500 schools across France will be partially or totally closed on Monday after clashes between riot police and student protesters in recent days, the French education minister said on Sunday.
Lessons will be "totally or partly suspended" in some 400 to 500 high schools as security conditions "have not been fulfilled," Édouard Geffray said. He also reported that 24 schools had been "burned or ransacked" since the start of the protests.
Background of the Protests
Thousands of students have been demonstrating over education standards, with protests that began last week spreading from Paris to other cities, including Montpellier, Nantes, and Marseille. High school pupils have raised concerns about:
- A lack of teachers
- Overcrowded classrooms
- Run-down buildings
On Friday, French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin stated that 735 of France's 3,700 schools had been affected "one way or another" by violent protests. Geffray warned that the number of schools potentially affected on Monday could be comparable to Friday's figure but promised a "partial, progressive return to lessons."
