Hundreds of French high schools will begin a second week of closures on Monday as protests over dilapidated schools and classrooms, overcrowding, and teacher shortages precede a nationwide day of demonstrations on Tuesday. The nationwide demonstrations and blockades underline a fraught social atmosphere as France's government embarks on trying to pass a deficit-narrowing 2027 budget. France's 10-year bond yield briefly topped 5 percent last week, its highest since 2002, as the protests compounded investor concerns over the country's fiscal outlook.
About 400 to 500 high schools are expected to remain completely or partially closed on Monday in France, out of a total of 3,700, Education Minister Edouard Geffray said on Sunday evening. The protests began in late September at a high school in a Paris suburb over teacher shortages before spreading nationwide. The closures and protests have disrupted the academic calendar and raised concerns about the impact on students' education.
The protests have turned violent, with police and students clashing in Lille in northern France, tear gas being used in Toulouse in the southwest, and a fire being lit as people tried to break into a school in central Paris. Carole Zerbib, head of the vandalised Lycee Vauquelin in the 13th district of Paris, said her school had been attacked by a "very determined" group wearing hoods and masks who tried to break through the school's entrance door and then lit a fire.
Since last Monday, around 5,000 people, mostly teenagers, have been arrested nationwide and dozens injured. Teachers and members of the public have been attacked, while damage to property is estimated in the tens of millions of euros. The violence and vandalism have raised concerns about the safety of students, teachers, and school property.
Government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon told CNews television on Monday that the government's priority is to restore order. Bregeon said the French government would fast-track a bill in parliament on October 27 to make those found to have damaged property during protests financially liable. The government is trying to find a balance between allowing peaceful protests and maintaining public order.
Student unions have called for a national day of demonstrations on Tuesday, despite concerns about further violence. Security officials fear that an organised protest in central Paris in particular could see further violence amid concerns that far-left and anarchist groups could try to take over the protests. CGT union head Sophie Binet told TF1 television on Monday that CGT union members will attend Tuesday's demonstrations "to protect high school students."
Education Minister Edouard Geffray said that 24 schools had been burned or ransacked and that 78 teaching staff had been injured since the beginning of the demonstrations. Paris police chief Patrice Faure, in an open letter published on X on Saturday, said those who had launched the protests no longer controlled them and called on students to abandon blockades in favour of peaceful protest.
Key points
- About 400 to 500 high schools are expected to remain closed on Monday.
- The protests have resulted in around 5,000 arrests and dozens injured.
- The French government will fast-track a bill to make those found to have damaged property during protests financially liable.
