Hundreds of French Schools Close as Student Protests Spread

Hundreds of French high schools were expected to remain closed on Monday as student protests over overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and poorly maintained school buildings entered a second week. Education Minister Edouard Geffray said around 400 to 500 of the country’s 3,700 high schools would be completely or partially closed ahead of nationwide demonstrations planned for Tuesday.

The protests, which began at a school near Paris in late September, have spread across France. Authorities said 24 schools have been burned or ransacked and 78 teaching staff injured since the demonstrations began. Police and students clashed in several cities on Monday, with tear gas used in Toulouse, while a fire was reported during an attempted break-in at a Paris school. Around 5,000 people, mostly teenagers, have been arrested since last Monday.

The unrest comes as the government works to pass a deficit-reducing 2027 budget, adding to concerns over France’s financial and political stability. Authorities have called for a return to peaceful demonstrations, while student unions are maintaining plans for Tuesday’s nationwide protests. Security officials are also concerned that far-left and anarchist groups could exploit the demonstrations to trigger further violence.

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