Hundreds of French high schools closed

 

TT

 

Published 10.17

 

The photo from Friday shows demonstrators in Paris. Photo: Aurelien Morissard /AP/TT

Classes at 400–500 French high schools are being fully or partially cancelled on Monday due to unrest linked to the widespread student protests that have shaken the country, French media report.

Students are demanding more resources for high schools, specifically citing substandard facilities, overcrowded classrooms, and a lack of substitute teachers during absences. Much of the anger is also directed at a new admissions system believed to contribute to inequality, *Le Figaro* reports.

The national student union has pledged to escalate the protests starting Tuesday.

So far, at least 5,000 people have been arrested—many of them minors—and 24 schools have been set on fire or looted. On Monday, a high school in Paris was evacuated after one of its entrances was set ablaze, BFMTV reports.