French education minister says up to 500 schools to close as student protests spread

Up to 500 French high schools will be totally or partly closed on Monday due to nationwide student protests, Education Minister Edouard Geffray announced Sunday, citing unmet security conditions and reporting 24 schools burned or ransacked since the movement began. The protests, which started September 17 at a Paris school, have spread across the country over teacher absences, long school days, and poor facilities. Geffray claimed far-left activists infiltrated the movement, with 78 staff wounded and over 5,000 people arrested, 85% minors, while critics accuse police of heavy-handed tactics. The movement originated at Saint-Exupery high school in Creteil, where authorities later sent additional staff, restoring normalcy. Social media, especially TikTok, has amplified protests, with students sharing footage of clashes. Sociologists highlight deep inequalities between vocational and elite schools, fueling grievances among low-income students.