France: School protests turn violent as students clash with police over education reforms

Student protests against the French government's proposed education reforms escalated into violent confrontations across France on Friday, with riot police deployed to dozens of schools in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and Toulouse.

Thousands of secondary school students took to the streets, blocking school gates and staging sit-ins to protest plans to increase the school week, revise the baccalauréat examination, and cut teaching positions through restructuring.

Clashes broke out as police attempted to clear blockades at several schools. Authorities used tear gas after protesters threw projectiles. At least 15 students were detained in Paris, while local media reported injuries among both police and demonstrators.

Education Minister faced immediate pressure to address the protesters' demands. The government has defended the reforms as necessary modernisations, arguing they will better prepare students for a changing job market.

France has a long tradition of student protest movements that have historically forced governments to back down from education reforms. The 1994 movement against the CIP youth minimum wage and the 2006 protests against the First Employment Contract (CPE) both succeeded in reversing government policy.