About 400 French high schools shut as student protests turn violent

About 400 of France's 3,700 high schools were expected to close on Friday 2 October 2026 as student protests over classroom conditions and education funding escalated into violence across the country, Education Minister Edouard Geffray said. Riot police clashed with high school students in cities including Strasbourg, Marseille and Rennes, and trade unions called a teachers' strike for the following Tuesday.mtv.com.lb

The closures mark the sharpest escalation of a movement that began in the Paris region and spread nationwide within weeks. Students demand smaller class sizes, better timetables, relief from teacher shortages and cooler classrooms after this year's heatwaves. The government calls the grievances legitimate but condemns what it describes as urban violence, while education staff injuries and mass detentions raise the political cost for President Emmanuel Macron's administration ahead of next year's presidential election.

What the closures mean

Education Minister Edouard Geffray told broadcaster France 2 late on Thursday that a little over 400 schools and other educational establishments would close. He separately told BFMTV that nearly 400 of the country's 3,700 high schools were expected to shut on Friday. Geffray said the high school student movement was being held hostage by ultra-violent fringe groups, and urged parents to keep children off the streets.theguardian.com

Damage spread beyond closures. In Paris on Friday, fire damaged the entrances of two high schools, Léonard de Vinci in the south and Gaston-Bachelard in the south-east, an AFP photographer said. Tear gas clouded Strasbourg, fireworks were aimed at police lines in Marseille, and rubbish bins burned in Rennes. Protesters in Pantin, on Paris's outskirts, set fires and threw firecrackers at riot police before running away.

Geffray said 65 education staff had been injured during the unrest, including 40 headteachers. About 170 students were wounded and more than 100 high schools suffered severe damage, he told BFMTV. An investigation is under way after a 14-year-old boy in Val d'Oise suffered serious injuries to his mouth and jaw.

Injuries and arrests mount

Rights groups have accused police of heavy-handed tactics against minors, including batons, tear gas and non-lethal flash-ball guns. The interior ministry said it had opened three investigations into police conduct. Students themselves accused police of excessive force, saying tear gas canisters were regularly fired to disperse protests. In Rennes, a 16-year-old named Lola said police had no right to hit them or use tear gas on them.

Under the draft 2027 budget presented on Thursday, the education budget rises 1.7% to €65.53 billion, excluding teacher pensions — a below-inflation increase. Education is traditionally the largest budget item, but debt servicing costs are expected to reach €74.5 billion next year, overtaking it. Students blame years of underinvestment for overcrowded classrooms of up to 40 children, crumbling buildings, staff absences and unbearable classroom temperatures during the May and June heatwaves.

The funding dispute behind protests

The government faces a widening political dispute over who is driving the protests. Intelligence agencies told a crisis meeting on Thursday that the movement was initiated by politicians from the hard-left France Unbowed party (LFI). Senior LFI lawmakers rejected the allegation: lawmaker Louis Boyard denied the claim, and official Manuel Bompard accused the government of descending into conspiracy theories. Justice Minister Darmanin separately said the protests had been hijacked by outsiders.

Who the government blames

Trade unions called a teachers' strike for Tuesday, a week after public-sector workers walked out. Geffray said he was meeting education unions and high school student associations on Friday to find common ground for dialogue. Opinion polls consistently show Macron's government is deeply unpopular six months before next year's presidential election, and planned budget cuts are expected to deepen the education funding crisis. The next set date is the teachers' strike called by trade unions for Tuesday, following Friday's closures and a week after public-sector workers walked out. Geffray's meetings with unions and student associations on Friday were intended to open dialogue before that walkout.