2026-10-02 18:39:56Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Around 400 schools in France are expected to remain closed after student protests, sparked by problems in the education system, escalated and in some cities ended in clashes and violence.

French Education Minister Edouard Geffray said Thursday evening that just over 400 schools and other educational institutions would be closed. He did not give a timeframe for when normality would return.

The protests began last month in the Paris area. Students have been protesting a shortage of teachers, poor school buildings and other problems they say are harming education. As the protests spread to other parts of France, the situation has become more tense. Dozens of people have been injured and police have made hundreds of arrests.

On Thursday, protesters set fire to at least two high schools. At another school in the southern city of Marseille, several teachers were accidentally doused with gasoline during the incidents. In Strasbourg, in the east of the country, at least one car was set on fire, while in Toulouse, in the southwest, police used riot gear to confront young people who took part in the protest.

Meanwhile, the French government has raised questions about the organization and instigation of the protests. According to an official close to Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, intelligence services have informed a special government meeting that the protest movement was instigated by radical left-wing politicians, including members of the La France Insoumise party.

The party's deputy, Louis Boyard, has denied these accusations in statements to French media. Authorities are trying to control the spread of violence, while the protests continue to directly affect the functioning of schools. The closure of about 400 educational institutions on Friday is expected to affect thousands of students and families in different areas of France.


Video