French Education Minister: Up to 500 High Schools to Stay Closed Monday

Classes will be partially or fully suspended in hundreds of schools following protests, after 24 educational institutions were torched or vandalized.

Between 400 and 500 high schools in France will remain fully or partially closed on Monday following student protests and nationwide unrest, The Guardian and Romanian outlet G4Media reported. According to the reports, French Education Minister Édouard Geffray announced that classes will be suspended at institutions where security conditions cannot be guaranteed.

Geffray noted that 24 educational institutions were torched or vandalized during the unrest that erupted earlier this week. At the same time, reports indicated that at least 5,000 people, mostly teenagers, have been detained so far, and dozens of people—including teachers and students—have been injured.

Further details regarding the timeline for a full return to classes have not yet been released.