About 400 French schools close as student protests spread, education minister says

About 400 schools and other educational establishments in France were closed or expected to close on Friday, 2 October 2026, according to Education Minister Edouard Geffray. Some closed schools were to offer distance learning.

The protests began at high schools in the Paris region and have spread nationwide. Students cite teacher shortages and deteriorating school buildings. DW also reported a lack of learning materials, and Daily Sabah reported overcrowded classrooms. Students quoted by France 24 mentioned long school hours, overheated classrooms and frequent staff absences.

Around 2,000 people have been detained since the protests began, according to government ministers. Geffray said 170 students and at least 65 education staff have been injured. He said 40 high school principals were among the injured.

On Thursday, 1 October, fires were started at at least two high schools. Officials said teachers were inadvertently splashed with petrol at a school in Marseille. At least one car was torched in Strasbourg, and riot police clashed with youths in Toulouse. Police have used tear gas in some locations.

Daily Sabah reported that the Interior Ministry said 1,949 people were detained on Thursday and that 305 police officers and gendarmes were injured. The same report also says nearly 2,000 people had been detained since the unrest began, including more than 600 on Wednesday alone. According to DW, authorities in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region estimated "at least €25 million" in damage there. On Friday, fire damaged the entrances of two Paris high schools, according to an AFP photographer cited by France 24.

According to the Union Etudiante student union, cited by Daily Sabah, about 30 university campuses were blockaded on Thursday. Student union bodies have called for a day of mass protest on Tuesday, 6 October, according to DW.

Geffray planned to meet student representatives and education unions on Friday. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not describe the outcome.

What is disputed

• Closures: DW and Daily Sabah quote Geffray as saying "over 400" or "a little over 400" establishments. France 24 reports "nearly 400 high schools".
• Detentions: Citing Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin's remarks on RTL, France 24 reports that around 2,000 people were taken into custody, 90 percent of them minors. Daily Sabah reports that about two-thirds of roughly 2,000 arrested were placed in custody.
• Intelligence claim: DW attributes to Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu the account that intelligence agencies linked the movement to La France Insoumise (LFI) politicians. Daily Sabah attributes it to a source close to the prime minister.

What each side says

Geffray said "the high school student movement is being held hostage by ultra-violent fringe groups", according to France 24. He urged parents to keep children away from the protests. According to Daily Sabah, Darmanin said in an interview with RTL radio: "We have gone from high-school student demonstrations to a public-order disturbance." France 24 reported that he has asked prosecutors to hold parents liable for damage caused by their children.

LFI denies initiating the movement. Senior official Manuel Bompard accused the government of "descending into conspiracy theories", according to France 24. LFI leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon supports the protests but has called for non-violent methods, according to DW.

Students say police have used excessive force. A 16-year-old student in Rennes was quoted by France 24 as saying: "the police have no right to hit us or use tear gas on us." An AFP photographer cited by France 24 said police used tear gas at the Kerichen high school in Brest. The reports do not describe the intelligence evidence behind the government's claim about LFI.

Analysis

The government acknowledges that students' grievances are legitimate while condemning the violence. That leaves room for both dialogue and a firmer public-order response. The outcome of Geffray's talks with students and unions may shape whether the protest planned for 6 October draws larger or smaller crowds. The accusation against LFI, which the party rejects, adds a political dimension ahead of the 2027 presidential race. The reports do not describe the evidence behind it. Darmanin told RTL that 90 percent of those taken into custody were minors, according to France 24, but inconsistent detention and injury figures across reports make the scale of the unrest and the policing response harder to assess independently.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.