French student protests widen to teachers and universities; hundreds of schools shut
Version 2: The protest movement has widened beyond high school students to university students and teachers, with major teachers' unions announcing strikes and rallies and student groups calling further action for Oct 6, as two more outlets covered ongoing school closures and detentions.
In short
High school students across France are protesting poor education conditions, and classes have been suspended at hundreds of schools. Education Minister Édouard Geoffray said on Oct 4 that about 400 to 500 high schools would be fully or partly closed on Oct 5 because safety requirements were not met, and that 24 schools have been burned or looted with 78 staff injured. Seoul Economic Daily reported the movement is widening to university students and teachers, with unions announcing strikes and student groups calling further action on Oct 6.
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High school students across France are protesting poor education conditions, and classes have been suspended at hundreds of schools. Yonhap reported that Education Minister Édouard Geoffray said on Oct 4 that about 400 to 500 high schools would be fully or partly closed on Oct 5 because safety requirements had not been met. Korea Economic Daily, citing Reuters and AFP, said about 400 schools nationwide had suspended classes and that thousands had been taken into police custody. Seoul Economic Daily reported that the movement is widening to university students and teachers. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The grievances are chronic teacher shortages, overcrowded classes and ageing, unhygienic school facilities, according to Yonhap and Seoul Economic Daily. Seoul Economic Daily said students report classes that went months without an assigned teacher, as well as a lack of health and counselling staff; some blocked school gates or refused to attend class, clashing with police, and some students were arrested or detained. [ 1 , 3 ]
The minister said 24 schools had been burned or looted and 78 school staff injured since the protests began, Yonhap reported. He said far-left activists had infiltrated the protests, “hijacking the student movement and using extreme violence” and creating risks for both staff and students, adding that “we have never seen this before.” [ 1 ]
AFP reported that about 5,000 people have been detained so far, 85 percent of them minors, according to Yonhap. Yonhap also reported criticism that police and security officers used excessive force, including tear gas and batons, and detained students indiscriminately. [ 1 ]
The first protest began on Sept 17 at a high school in Paris and spread nationwide the following week, with clashes between demonstrators and police worsening, Yonhap reported. On Oct 4, in the southern city of La Ciotat, a 16-year-old student was detained on suspicion of assaulting a teacher; AFP reported that the 59-year-old teacher was attacked on Oct 2 around a high school protest site after gasoline was poured on him. [ 1 ]
Seoul Economic Daily reported that university student groups have joined high school rallies, calling for more education spending and changes to university admissions, while major teachers' unions have expressed solidarity and announced strikes and rallies over staffing shortages and heavy workloads. Student groups said the government has not produced a proper solution and called further action for Oct 6, it reported, after the government met students, parents and teacher groups. [ 3 ]
Seoul Economic Daily said the government faces conflicting demands: calls for additional education spending and its own drive to cut spending to improve public finances. It said the movement could grow into a joint action by high school students, university students and teachers, which would increase pressure on the government. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The protests have shut classes at hundreds of schools and drawn in university students and teachers, broadening the pressure on a government that must weigh demands for more education spending against its push to cut the deficit, according to Seoul Economic Daily. The documents do not say whether the government has offered concessions or how long the movement will last.
Key facts
- High school students across France are protesting poor education conditions, including teacher shortages, overcrowded classes and ageing school facilities. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Education Minister Édouard Geoffray said on Oct 4 that about 400 to 500 high schools would be fully or partly closed on Oct 5 because safety requirements were not met. [ 1 ]
- The minister said 24 schools have been burned or looted and 78 school staff injured since the protests began. [ 1 ]
- The first protest began on Sept 17 at a high school in Paris and spread nationwide the following week. [ 1 , 3 ]
- About 5,000 people have been detained so far, 85 percent of them minors, according to AFP. [ 1 ]
- University students have joined the high school protests, and major teachers' unions have expressed solidarity and announced strikes and rallies. [ 3 ]
- Student groups said the government has not offered proper solutions and announced further action on Oct 6, while the government has met students, parents and teacher groups. [ 3 ]
- Korea Economic Daily, citing Reuters and AFP, reported that about 400 schools nationwide suspended classes and that thousands were taken into police custody. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- High school students across France are protesting poor education conditions. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Classes were suspended or schools closed at hundreds of schools nationwide. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Thousands of people, including minors, have been detained in connection with the protests. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Education Minister Édouard Geoffray has given public statements and figures on the protests and school closures. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- The exact number of schools closed or suspended on Oct 5. Yonhap reported the minister expected about 400 to 500 high schools to be fully or partly closed on Oct 5, while Korea Economic Daily said about 400 schools had suspended classes; the two figures refer to different points in time and are not reconciled.
- Whether far-left activists infiltrated and took over the student protests. This is a claim made by the education minister in Yonhap's report and is not independently confirmed in the documents.
- The total number of people detained. Yonhap cites AFP saying 5,000 have been detained so far, 85 percent of them minors, while Korea Economic Daily says only that thousands were detained.
- Criticism that police used excessive force, including tear gas and batons, and detained students indiscriminately. Yonhap reports that such criticism has been raised but does not say who is making it or whether police have responded.
- How far the movement will widen and whether teachers' union action will go ahead. Seoul Economic Daily says unions have announced strikes and rallies and that further student action was called for Oct 6, but the documents give no outcome for either.
- The date of the reporting behind Korea Economic Daily's figures. Korea Economic Daily refers to reports from Oct 1 by Reuters and AFP, while Yonhap reports the minister's statements of Oct 4.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap reports Education Minister Édouard Geoffray saying that about 400 to 500 high schools will be fully or partly closed on Oct 5 because safety requirements are not met, and that 24 schools have been burned or looted and 78 staff injured since the protests began (Oct 4). [ 1 ]
- Korea Economic Daily reports that classes were suspended at about 400 schools nationwide and that thousands of people were taken into police custody, citing Reuters and AFP (Oct 5). [ 2 ]
- Seoul Economic Daily reports that university students and teachers are joining the movement, that major teachers' unions have announced strikes and rallies, and that student groups have called further action for Oct 6 (Oct 6). [ 3 ]