What changed
France will partially or totally close 400 to 500 high schools on Monday because security conditions are considered inadequate.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray said 24 schools have been burned or ransacked since protests began last week, while 78 education staff have been wounded. The demonstrations, led by students protesting teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and deteriorating buildings, have spread from Paris to Montpellier, Nantes and Marseille.
Why it matters
This is no longer just a dispute over school conditions. It is disrupting the school system itself: 735 schools were affected in some way on Friday, and thousands of students may find lessons suspended on Monday.
The government says it will attempt a partial, progressive return to classes. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu also promised action on staffing, facilities, school schedules and university admissions, while accelerating a bill that would make people responsible for vandalism pay for the damage.
The political pressure is rising alongside the disruption. More than 5,000 people have been arrested since the movement began, about 85% of them minors, with 1,747 arrests reported on Friday alone. Organisers have called for protests to continue on Tuesday, saying the government has not offered concrete measures.
The immediate outlook is uncertain because the final number of closures will depend on security conditions. If demonstrations continue, the government will have to balance reopening classrooms with protecting students and staff.
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