France to close up to 500 high schools as student protests spread
In short
Up to 500 high schools in and around Paris are fully or partly closed as student protests over poor school conditions continue, French authorities said. The education minister said 24 schools have been burned or looted and at least 78 staff injured since the protests began on Sept 17 in Créteil, and claimed far-left activists had infiltrated the movement. Hankook Ilbo reported more than 5,000 arrests, about 85% of them minors, with a large protest by students and teacher unions planned for Oct 6.
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Up to 500 high schools in and around Paris are fully or partially closed after weeks of student protests over poor conditions in schools. Education Minister Édouard Geffray said on Oct 4 that safety conditions ahead of a planned demonstration had not been met and that about 400 to 500 high schools would suspend classes in whole or in part, according to AFP reports cited by Dong-A Ilbo and Hankook Ilbo. [ 2 , 3 ]
The protests began on Sept 17 at a high school in Créteil, southeast of Paris, and spread nationwide, the two outlets reported; Dong-A Ilbo identified the school as the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry high school. Hankook Ilbo reported that students are demanding improvements to frequent teacher absences and teacher shortages, overcrowded classes, excessively long class hours and aging buildings, along with more education staff and budget. [ 2 , 3 ]
Geffray said 24 schools had been burned or looted and at least 78 school staff injured since the protests began. He also said far-left activists had infiltrated the student movement and were using extreme violence, putting both staff and students at risk. Amnesty International France said police had used excessive force while breaking up protests, and that students should be able to express their views without fear of tear gas, batons or arbitrary detention, Hankook Ilbo reported. [ 2 , 3 ]
Some demonstrations have turned violent. Hankook Ilbo reported that more than 5,000 people have been arrested, about 85% of them minors; that video from last week in Belfort in eastern France showed youths knocking down a police officer and then beating and kicking him; and that on Oct 3 a teacher was assaulted and doused with gasoline at a protest site in La Ciotat in the south. Newsis published AP photographs from Lyon on Oct 2 showing high school students marching behind a banner reading “high school blockade” and fleeing police tear gas. [ 1 , 3 ]
The government says it is working first to fill teacher vacancies and to renovate aging school facilities, but protest organizers say the measures are insufficient and have called for demonstrations to continue on Oct 7. Students and teacher unions planned a large protest on Oct 6. [ 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The protests have shut hundreds of schools, damaged dozens of buildings and produced thousands of arrests, and teacher unions are set to join the next demonstration, which raises pressure on the government over school staffing and facilities. The dispute also turns on competing accounts of who is escalating the violence, with the education minister blaming far-left activists and Amnesty International France accusing police of excessive force.
Key facts
- Student protests over poor school conditions began on Sept 17 at a high school in Créteil, southeast of Paris, and spread nationwide. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Education Minister Édouard Geffray said on Oct 4 that safety conditions had not been met and that about 400–500 high schools would be fully or partially closed. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Up to 500 high schools in the Paris area began full or partial closures on Oct 5. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Geffray said 24 schools had been burned or looted and at least 78 school staff injured since the protests began. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reported that more than 5,000 people had been arrested, about 85% of them minors. [ 3 ]
- Students are demanding action on teacher shortages and absences, overcrowded classes, long class hours and aging facilities, plus more staff and budget. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Geffray said far-left activists had infiltrated the protests and used extreme violence, while Amnesty International France said police used excessive force. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Students and teacher unions planned a large protest for Oct 6, and organizers called for further demonstrations on Oct 7. [ 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Student protests over poor school conditions began on Sept 17 at a high school in Créteil, southeast of Paris, and spread nationwide. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Education Minister Édouard Geffray said on Oct 4 that safety conditions had not been met and about 400–500 high schools would be fully or partially closed. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Up to 500 high schools in the Paris area were to enter full or partial closure on Oct 5. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Geffray said 24 schools had been burned or looted and at least 78 school staff injured since the protests began. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Geffray said far-left activists had infiltrated the protests and were using extreme violence, putting staff and students at risk. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Students are demanding better school conditions: teacher shortages and absences, overcrowded classes, long class hours and aging facilities. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Students and teacher unions planned a large protest for Oct 6. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- The total number of arrests, reported as more than 5,000 with about 85% of those detained being minors. Single-source figure from Hankook Ilbo, with no attribution to an authority and no confirmation in the other documents.
- Whether about 500 schools closed or 400–500: headlines say 500, while the education minister is quoted as saying about 400–500. The headlines and the minister's quoted range differ within the documents.
- Amnesty International France's allegation that police used excessive force, and any response from the French government to it. Reported by one outlet only, and no government response appears in the documents.
- What happens at the planned Oct 6 protest and whether the demonstrations continue afterwards. These are announced plans; the documents do not report their outcome.
- Which schools were burned, looted or closed, and the condition of the injured staff. The documents give only totals, with no lists or details.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Student protests begin at a high school in Créteil, southeast of Paris, and spread across the country. [ 2 , 3 ]
- High school students march in Lyon behind a banner reading “high school blockade” and flee police tear gas, in AP photographs published by Newsis. [ 1 ]
- A teacher is assaulted and doused with gasoline at a protest in La Ciotat in southern France, according to Hankook Ilbo. [ 3 ]
- Education Minister Édouard Geffray says safety conditions have not been met and about 400–500 high schools will be fully or partially closed. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Up to 500 high schools in the Paris area enter full or partial closure ahead of the planned demonstration. [ 2 , 3 ]
- A large protest involving students and teacher unions is scheduled. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Protest organizers call for demonstrations to continue. [ 3 ]