The French education minister, Édouard Geffray, announced on Sunday that 400 to 500 high schools will have lessons "totally or partly suspended" on Monday due to security concerns. This decision comes after clashes between riot police and student protesters in recent days. The protests, which started in Paris and spread to other cities like Montpellier, Nantes, and Marseille, are against a lack of teachers, overcrowded classrooms, and run-down buildings.
According to Geffray, 24 schools have been "burned or ransacked" since the start of the protests. He also reported that 78 staff members in education have been wounded, describing it as "something we have never seen before". The minister claimed that activists from the far-left have infiltrated the high school student movement, hijacking it and engaging in extreme violence, posing a risk to both staff and students.
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". The government has accused some protesters of being violent and disrupting the education system.
The protests have led to a significant number of arrests, with 1,747 people arrested on Friday, according to French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. Organisers of the protests have called for the demonstrations to continue on Tuesday, accusing the government of a lack of "concrete measures" to address their concerns. The government has promised to take further steps to address the difficulties faced by high school students and educational staff.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced on Sunday that the government is taking measures to ensure classes continue, improve facilities, better organise school days, and make the French university admissions platform more transparent. He also stated that the government is accelerating the review of its "vandal-pays" bill to ensure that people responsible for damage bear the cost of their actions.
The student protests in France have gained international attention, with some expressing concerns about the violence and disruption to the education system. The government has urged calm and promised to work with students and educators to address their concerns. The situation remains volatile, with protests planned to continue in the coming days.
The French government is working to find a solution to the problems faced by high school students, including a lack of teachers, overcrowded classrooms, and run-down buildings. The government has promised to take concrete measures to address these issues and ensure that students receive a quality education. The protests are expected to continue until the government addresses the concerns of the students and educators.
Key points
- Up to 500 schools in France will be closed on Monday due to student protests.
- The protests are against a lack of teachers, overcrowded classrooms, and run-down buildings.
- 1,747 people were arrested on Friday during the protests.
