Education Minister Edouard Geffray said Sunday that about 500 schools are likely to close fully or partially on Monday. Posted on October 5, 2026 October 5, 2026 Hundreds of secondary schools in France are closed as student protests against deteriorating schools and teacher shortages continue. Government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon told CNews television on Monday that the priority was to “restore order.” Education Minister Edouard Geffray said Sunday night that of the 3,700 schools, between 400 and 500 would likely close fully or partially on Monday. Geffray said 24 schools had been burned or looted, while 78 teachers had been injured since the protests began. Nationwide demonstrations broke out at a high school in a Paris suburb late last month over a shortage of teachers, before spreading to the entire country. In Paris, Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler said students had barricaded themselves in front of the building’s entrance using trash cans and fencing. “We have been talking to many of the students who have come here, and what they say is that they are here so that the government listens to their demands. They say that they are fed up with the shortage of teachers and that they often do not have teachers for subjects like mathematics and English,” he said. “They also tell us that they are here to demonstrate and show solidarity with other secondary school students who are perhaps in poorer areas of France with less adequate facilities or in the French overseas territories. They say that all young people should have the same right to education,” Butler added. French news channel BFMTV showed images of police and students clashing in Lille in northern France, the use of tear gas in Toulouse in the southwest, and an arson attack as people tried to break into a school in central Paris. Carole Zerbib, director of the destroyed Lycee Vauquelin in the 13th arrondissement of Paris. district, said a “very determined” group wearing hoods and masks attacked their school. While police and firefighters quickly put out the fire and the school was evacuated, suspending classes, Zerbib said it was “very violent and happened very quickly,” adding that the attack lasted between 15 and 20 minutes. Since September 28, some 5,000 people, mostly teenagers, have been arrested across the country and dozens have been injured. French newspaper La Voix du Nord reported Monday that a teenager lost a hand after picking up a stun grenade from police. Teachers and members of the public have also been attacked, while the estimated costs of property damage run into tens of millions of euros. Student unions have called a national day of demonstration for Tuesday.
