Up to 500 schools across France will be partially or totally closed on Monday following days of clashes between riot police and student protesters, the French education minister has announced.

The disruption follows a wave of demonstrations over education standards that began in Paris last week before spreading to other major cities, including Montpellier, Nantes and Marseille. High school pupils and other demonstrators have cited teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and poorly maintained buildings as their primary grievances.

According to French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, 735 of the country's 3,700 schools were affected "one way or another" by violent protests on Friday. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed that 1,747 people were arrested during the clashes that day.

French official Édouard Geffray claimed that activists, particularly from the far-left, have infiltrated and hijacked the movement, leading to extreme violence. He warned that the escalating confrontations pose a direct risk to staff and pupils, adding that 78 education staff members have been wounded during the unrest—a casualty level he described as unprecedented.

While the education minister warned that the number of institutions facing disruption on Monday could be comparable to Friday's figures, the ministry has promised what it described as a "partial, progressive return to lessons".

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Sunday that the government is actively taking steps to address concerns, including improving school facilities, better organising school days, and increasing transparency on the university admissions platform. He also confirmed ministers are accelerating a "vandal-pays" bill to ensure individuals responsible for property damage bear the financial costs.

With protest organisers already calling for further demonstrations on Tuesday after accusing ministers of failing to deliver concrete measures, according to the AFP news agency, the situation remains tense.

What we do not know yet is how many classrooms will successfully reopen on Monday morning, or whether the government's proposed measures will be enough to calm the unrest. I'll be following this one — check back for updates.