Authorities Close Hundreds of Schools Across France Amid Protests

Authorities close hundreds of schools amid unrest

More than 400 schools across France faced total or partial closures on Monday, October 5, 2026, as authorities braced for renewed student demonstrations over education funding and facility conditions. Education Minister Édouard Geffray announced on Sunday that lessons would be suspended in 400 to 500 schools because security conditions had not been fulfilled. The wave of unrest, which began at a Paris school on September 17 and spread nationwide, has resulted in 24 schools being burned or ransacked, 78 education staff members injured, and more than 5,000 arrests, mostly of minors.

Student Grievances and Facility Decay

Teenagers across France staged widespread demonstrations last week to protest overcrowded classes of up to 40 children, crumbling buildings, poor teacher pay, and staff absences. Students also pointed to an opaque online university application system, uncomfortably hot classrooms during heatwaves, and a one-hour lunch break that is too short for everyone to get food.

Government Response and Accusations of Agitator Infiltration

President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist administration has faced unrest as riot police used tear gas and batons to disperse protesters. Geffray stated that political activists, particularly from the far left, had infiltrated the high school student movement. Police detained a 16-year-old on Sunday in connection with the assault of a 59-year-old teacher who was doused with gasoline and struck during a protest on October 2 in La Ciotat.

Trade unions strike over proposed budget cuts

The student protests coincide with broader public sector labor unrest. Trade unions, including the CGT, organized strikes last week to compel Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to rethink proposed budget cuts and consider a wealth tax on the super-rich. The government’s 2027 budget unveiling showed education spending rising by only 1.7% excluding teacher pensions, an increase sitting below the rate of inflation. Lecornu set out a timetable on October 4 urging local authorities to prioritize filling gaps from long-term absences and called a meeting with regional presidents for October 6 to discuss school building overhauls.

When student protests began and arrest figures

When did the student protests begin in France?

The demonstrations began at a school in Paris on September 17, 2026, before spreading across the capital and nationwide to cities including Marseille, Strasbourg, Toulouse, and Lille.

How many people have been arrested during the demonstrations?

More than 5,000 people have been arrested since the start of the movement, with approximately 85 percent of those detained being minors.

What specific security measures did the Ministry of National Education implement?

Education Minister Édouard Geffray announced that lessons would be totally or partly suspended in 400 to 500 schools on October 5, 2026, as a security precaution while planning for a partial, progressive return to classes.

More on this story: 164 Arrested in France as High School Protests Turn Violent · French Students Call for New Protests Over Education Crisis