French school protests draw 256,000 and disrupt hundreds of schools

Student-led protests over conditions in French schools have spread nationwide, drawing about 256,000 people to demonstrations on October 6 and disrupting hundreds of schools, according to official figures. The Education Ministry said protests or disruptions affected 413 of the country’s 3,700 secondary schools on October 5; Education Minister Édouard Geffray separately estimated that 400 to 500 schools were completely or partially closed that day. The movement began in the Paris region in September with complaints about teacher shortages and has expanded to include concerns about overcrowded classrooms, deteriorating buildings, inadequate resources and university admissions. Students, teachers, parents and unions have joined demonstrations and school blockades in cities across France. The Interior Ministry figures, reported by officials, put attendance on October 6 at 56,000 in Paris and about 256,000 nationwide. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said classes would be suspended for the remainder of the week to allow political discussions in schools. The government has also been considering responses to staffing and school-condition complaints.