French school protests spread as fires, blockades deepen unrest

A protest by French secondary school students over overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages and crumbling facilities deepened on Thursday, with fires set outside schools and blockades in several cities.

More than 160 schools were shut down on Thursday, while university students joined the protests in Paris and Marseille. The movement in the lycees, which students aged 15 to 18 attend for their final three years of secondary education in France, has seen hundreds detained.

The government said the protests had become “urban violence”, and Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Thursday urged all ministers to postpone any travel nationwide, according to a source close to the minister.

Since last week, pupils have staged protests outside schools over grievances ranging from timetables, class sizes, and a shortage of teachers to overheated classrooms during this year’s heatwaves.