French Student Protests Escalate: Up To 500 Schools To Remain Closed On Monday, 5 October

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Up to 500 high schools across France will be partly or completely closed on Monday, 5 October, as a nationwide student protest movement over deteriorating school conditions continues to escalate.

Why have the schools been closed?

Education Minister Edouard Geffray said on Sunday that lessons would be“totally or partly suspended” at between 400 and 500 schools because security conditions could not be guaranteed. The figure is broadly in line with Friday, when about 400 high schools were closed amid blockades and clashes.

Geffray also said 24 schools had been“burned or ransacked” since the movement began. The minister said 78 education staff had been injured during the unrest, according to French newspaper Le Parisien.

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The closures come after protests that began in the Paris region spread rapidly across France. Teenagers have blocked school entrances, disrupted lessons and gathered outside campuses, with some demonstrations turning into confrontations with riot police.

Authorities say the unrest has involved fires, vandalism and attacks on police and school staff. Reuters reported that around 5,000 people, most of them teenagers, had been arrested nationwide since Monday, while more than 600 police officers had also been injured.

The protests, however, did not begin with demands for confrontation. Students have been raising concerns about the conditions in which they are expected to study.

What are the students' grievances?

Their grievances include overcrowded classrooms, a shortage of teachers and substitute staff, ageing or poorly maintained school buildings and long school days.

Students have also complained about uncomfortable classroom temperatures during heatwaves and the pressures created by France's university admissions system.

Reuters reported that pupils in disadvantaged areas have particularly highlighted inequalities in education. Some students said they had been forced to sit exams despite missing lessons because teachers were unavailable.

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The government has acknowledged that several of the students' complaints are legitimate but has drawn a firm distinction between peaceful demonstrations and the violence that has accompanied some of the protests.

What do the authorities have to say about this?

French officials have condemned what they describe as“urban violence”, while authorities have also alleged that outside groups, including elements of the hard-left, are exploiting or attempting to take control of the movement. Representatives of the France Unbowed party have rejected those accusations.

The government has urged parents to prevent their children from taking part in violent protests. Paris police chief Patrice Faure said the movement had become“out of control” and called for a return to peaceful demonstrations.

Despite the escalation, student unions are planning further demonstrations this week, while teachers' unions have also announced industrial action. The continued unrest is therefore expected to put further pressure on President Emmanuel Macron 's government to address concerns over school conditions while restoring order around affected institutions.

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