France to close up to 500 schools on Monday over student protests

France’s education minister said schools across the country will be partially or totally closed on Monday after recent clashes between riot police and student protesters. Édouard Geffray said lessons will be “totally or partly suspended” in some “400 to 500” high schools because security conditions have not been met. He also reported that 24 schools had been “burned or ransacked” since protests began. Demonstrations, which started last week, have spread from Paris to cities including Montpellier, Nantes and Marseille, with students citing lack of teachers, overcrowding, and deteriorating facilities. The minister warned the Monday figure could match Friday’s, when 735 schools were affected.