France says 400–500 lycées to close on 5 October as school protests spread
In short
France's national education minister said 400–500 lycées would be fully or partly closed on 5 October because of protests that began in September. TASS, citing the French channel TF1, put the figure at more than 400 schools, about 40% of them in the Île-de-France region. Protesters cite teacher shortages and poor school conditions, some demonstrations have led to clashes with police, and student unions have called a mass demonstration for 6 October.
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France's national education minister, Édouard Geffré, said 400–500 lycées would be fully or partly closed on 5 October because of protests, Kommersant reported. TASS, citing the French television channel TF1, reported that more than 400 schools would stay shut and that about 40% of them are in the Paris region of Île-de-France. The two accounts give different ranges for the closures. [ 1 , 2 ]
The first protests began on 21 September at the Saint-Exupéry lycée in Créteil, a suburb of Paris, and students at hundreds of lycées across the country later joined, according to Kommersant. In some cases the protests led to clashes with police. Participants and their supporters said they were protesting problems in French education including a shortage of teachers, overcrowded classes and the poor state of school buildings. [ 2 ]
The minister said that since mid-September 24 schools had been burned or wrecked and that 78 teachers and other school staff had been injured, Kommersant reported. Critics say the protests are organised by far-left groups and emphasise that the actions lead to disorder. “Some activists, especially from far-left circles, infiltrated the schoolchildren's movement, took it over and drew them into extreme violence,” the minister said, according to Kommersant. [ 2 ]
The government's response has been two-level, Kommersant reported. The education minister is discussing demands with student unions, parents, head teachers and teachers, while police have been reinforced and consideration of a “destroyed — pay” law has been accelerated; under it, damage could be recovered and in some cases all members of a group that caused destruction could be held civilly liable. Kommersant said the government presents the claim of far-left radicalisation separately, as grounds for a firm response, without dropping talks on the schools' demands. Student unions have already called a mass demonstration for 6 October. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The closures affect pupils across France and follow weeks in which, the education minister said, dozens of schools were burned or wrecked and staff were injured. The government is treating the unrest as both a social mobilisation and a public-order problem, coupling talks with unions, parents and school heads with reinforced policing and a faster push for a “destroyed — pay” law. How that balance is settled will shape both school policy and the handling of protest damage in France.
Key facts
- France's national education minister said 400–500 lycées would be fully or partly closed on 5 October because of protests. [ 2 ]
- TASS, citing the channel TF1, reported that more than 400 schools would remain closed on 5 October and that about 40% of them are in the Île-de-France region. [ 1 ]
- The first protests began on 21 September at the Saint-Exupéry lycée in Créteil, a suburb of Paris, and students at hundreds of lycées later joined. [ 2 ]
- The education minister said that since mid-September 24 schools had been burned or wrecked and 78 teachers and other school staff had been injured. [ 2 ]
- Protesters and their supporters say they are unhappy about teacher shortages, overcrowded classes and the poor state of school buildings. [ 2 ]
- Student unions have called a mass demonstration for 6 October. [ 2 ]
- The government is negotiating with student unions, parents, head teachers and teachers while reinforcing police and accelerating consideration of a “destroyed — pay” law. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The exact number of schools closed on 5 October. TASS, citing TF1, says more than 400 schools; Kommersant, citing the education minister, says 400–500 lycées. The documents do not reconcile the two ranges.
- The origin of the protests on 21 September at the Saint-Exupéry lycée in Créteil. This is reported by Kommersant alone; TASS does not mention the date or place of the first action.
- The claim that far-left groups organised or radicalised the protests. The documents attribute this to the education minister and to critics of the protests; no independent confirmation is given.
- Whether the “destroyed — pay” law will be adopted, and when. The documents say only that consideration of the bill was accelerated.
- The French education minister said 24 schools had been burned or wrecked and 78 teachers and other staff injured since mid-September. Reported by a single source so far
- The government is pursuing talks over school demands while also reinforcing police and accelerating a “destroyed — pay” law, according to the education minister's account reported by Kommersant. Reported by a single source so far
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- First protests begin at the Saint-Exupéry lycée in Créteil, a suburb of Paris; students at hundreds of lycées across France later join. [ 2 ]
- TASS, citing TF1, reports that more than 400 schools will remain closed on 5 October, about 40% of them in Île-de-France. [ 1 ]
- Kommersant reports the education minister saying 400–500 lycées will be fully or partly closed on 5 October because of protests, and gives damage and injury figures since mid-September. [ 2 ]
- Student unions have called a mass demonstration. [ 2 ]