Hundreds of French High Schools Close Amidst Student Protests Over Conditions

Nearly 400 secondary schools across France were shut down on Friday following a week-long wave of student demonstrations. The protests have resulted in dozens of school staff sustaining injuries and approximately 2,000 arrests, officials confirmed.

The unrest, which began last week in the Paris metropolitan area before quickly spreading nationwide, saw teenage students in their final years of schooling block access to their institutions and engage in confrontations with law enforcement. The pupils are voicing concerns over what they describe as excessively long school hours, subpar conditions within schools, including overheated classrooms, and a high rate of staff absenteeism.

While the government acknowledges the legitimacy of these grievances, it strongly condemns the accompanying violence. Education Minister Edouard Geffray stated that "the high school student movement is being held hostage by ultra-violent fringe groups." He further noted that nearly 400 out of the country's 3,700 high schools were expected to be closed on Friday. Many schools, particularly in the southern city of Marseille, have also made arrangements for remote learning.

Geffray, speaking on BFMTV, disclosed that at least 65 staff members, including 40 high school principals, have been injured since the commencement of the protests. He urged parents to take responsibility, stating, "Parents must clearly step up and tell their children not to go" to the protests, emphasizing that "What matters now is ensuring our children are no longer out on the streets, because they are in danger."

Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin announced that he has instructed prosecutors to hold parents accountable for any damage caused by their children during the demonstrations, requiring them to "pay for repairs." Darmanin also informed RTL that since the start of the movement, roughly 2,000 individuals have been taken into police custody, with "90 per cent of whom were minors."