Hundreds of French high schools shut as new violence erupts

French high school students ignited fires outside educational institutions and engaged in confrontations with law enforcement on Friday as a protest movement, now affecting over 560 schools across the country, continues unabated. This movement, which originated last week in the Paris region and swiftly expanded nationwide, involves teenagers in their final years of secondary education blocking school entrances and clashing with police.

The students claim their academic schedules are excessively lengthy, conditions are subpar, including overheated classrooms, and there are frequent staff absences. "For a whole year, we didn't have a science teacher. We don't have any textbooks," complained Simon, a 15-year-old who wished to remain anonymous outside Turgot high school in central Paris.

"And yet, we're the fortunate ones. The situation is even worse in the suburbs." The government acknowledges the students' grievances as legitimate but has denounced the accompanying "urban violence." Students have accused law enforcement of employing excessive force, resulting in injuries from the frequent deployment of tear gas canisters to disperse the protests.