France is set to partially or completely close up to 500 high schools on Monday as days of student protests over poor education standards have escalated into clashes, vandalism and mass arrests, forcing authorities to raise security concerns.
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According to the BBC, French education minister Édouard Geffray said on Sunday that lessons would be "totally or partly suspended" at 400 to 500 high schools because security conditions had not been fulfilled.
Geffray also said 24 schools had been "burned or ransacked" since the protests began and that 78 education staff members had been wounded.
The protests, which began last week, have spread from Paris to cities including Toulouse, Montpellier, Nantes and Marseille.
Students and other demonstrators are protesting over a shortage of teachers, overcrowded classrooms, deteriorating school buildings and a lack of resources.
The unrest has triggered a major police response. French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said 735 of France's 3,700 schools had been affected "one way or another" by violent protests, while Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 1,747 people were arrested on Friday, according to the BBC.
What are students demanding
At the heart of the protests are demands for more teachers, including substitute staff, as students complain that teacher shortages are disrupting classes and affecting the quality of education.
Reuters has independently identified teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and deteriorating school infrastructure among the main grievances driving the movement.
Students are also calling for more resources for schools and better learning conditions. They have raised concerns over overcrowded classrooms and poorly maintained school buildings, with protesters arguing that inadequate infrastructure is making it harder for students to learn.
The demonstrations have since escalated into violent clashes in several cities, with protesters confronting riot police and some schools being damaged or ransacked. Reuters has reported arson, attacks on police and widespread arrests as the unrest has spread across France.
The government has responded by promising measures to improve school facilities and ensure classes continue, while Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has also pledged changes to the organisation of school days and greater transparency in the university admissions system.
