The France high school protests have forced nearly 400 schools to close as a week-long student movement spreads across the country, with at least 65 staff members injured and about 2,000 people taken into police custody.
The protests began in the Paris region last week before spreading to other parts of France. Students in their final years of secondary education have blocked school entrances and, in some locations, clashed with police.
Students say they are protesting long school hours, inadequate facilities, overheated classrooms and a shortage of staff. They have also raised concerns about frequent staff absences and conditions that they say affect their education.
The government has acknowledged the students’ concerns but has condemned the violence and disruption linked to the demonstrations.
Education Minister Edouard Geffray said nearly 400 of France’s 3,700 high schools were expected to close on Friday. Several schools, particularly in Marseille, also planned to move classes online as the protests continued.
Geffray told BFMTV that at least 65 staff members had suffered injuries since the movement began. The figure includes 40 high school principals.
He urged parents to discourage their children from joining the demonstrations, warning about the risks associated with the clashes.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said prosecutors would seek to hold parents financially responsible for damage caused by their children during the protests.
Darmanin told RTL that authorities had taken around 2,000 people into police custody since the movement began. He said minors accounted for about 90 per cent of those detained.
The France high school protests have created fresh pressure on the government as authorities attempt to address students’ concerns while keeping schools open and maintaining public order.
The government has described the students’ grievances as legitimate but continues to call for an end to violence and disruption around schools. Authorities are now working to prevent further clashes as the protests enter another week.
