Up to 500 French high schools were to suspend classes over student protests — The Hindu

Up to 500 high schools in France were to fully or partially suspend classes on Monday, October 5, 2026, amid a wave of protests by senior school students. Education Minister Édouard Geffray said lessons were being cancelled due to inadequate security conditions ahead of large-scale demonstrations planned for October 6.

Reasons for the protests

Students at French high schools say their education is being disrupted by frequent teacher absences, excessively long school days and the neglected condition of school buildings. According to Geffray, 24 schools have been burned or vandalized since the start of the protest movement.

As The Hindu reports, more than a third of 468 educational institutions in the Île-de-France region around Paris were planned to close on October 5. The movement began on September 17 at one of Paris’s schools and subsequently spread across the country.

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Clashes and the authorities’ response

In some places, the protests were accompanied by clashes between teenagers and security forces, who used tear gas and batons against participants. Geffray claimed that activists, including those from ultraleft circles, had infiltrated the movement and resorted to extreme violence. According to him, 78 education workers were injured.

More than 5,000 people have been detained since the start of the protests, 85% of them minors. Amnesty International France called the police actions during the demonstrations disproportionate and urged the authorities to ensure that students can express their demands without the risk of force being used or arbitrary detention.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu called on local authorities to first fill staffing gaps caused by prolonged employee absences, as well as vacant positions. He scheduled a meeting with regional leaders for October 6 to discuss the renovation of school buildings.