Up to 500 lyceums in France will be closed on October 5 due to protests

French Minister of National Education Edouard Geffrey said that on October 5, 400-500 lyceums will remain completely or partially closed due to protests. Since mid-September, 24 schools have been burned down or destroyed, and 78 teachers and other school staff have been injured.

The first protests began on September 21 at the Lyceum of Saint-Exupery in the Paris suburb of Creteux. They were joined by students from hundreds of lyceums across France. In some cases, protests have resulted in clashes with police. The protesters themselves and their supporters say they are unhappy with French education problems such as a shortage of teachers, overcrowded classrooms, and the poor state of schools.

Critics believe that the protests are organized by far-left groups, and emphasize that the actions lead to unrest. “Some activists, especially from the far left, have infiltrated the school movement, intercepted it from them and engaged them in extreme violence,” Geffrey said.

Students' unions have called for a mass demonstration on October 6.

Jana Christmas