Hundreds of people, primarily students, have been arrested amid widespread protests across France demanding improvements to the education system. The demonstrations, which began in late September and continued into early October, focused on teacher shortages and the poor state of school facilities.

The protests have seen hundreds of students and others gather outside schools to voice their frustrations. Many schools have been the scenes of blockades and clashes with police, including incidents where fires were set and projectiles thrown at law enforcement officers. Authorities responded with arrests, detaining several hundred individuals, most of whom were children or adolescents.

The unrest comes ahead of the French government’s announcement of the national budget for the upcoming year, with expectations of spending cuts. Protesters say the current conditions in schools are unacceptable. Among them, 17-year-old Fadila described her school environment as infested with cockroaches and rats. She also highlighted extreme temperature fluctuations in classrooms, ranging from sweltering heat to freezing cold, which, according to her, hinder students’ ability to concentrate and learn.

The demonstrators are calling for increased funding to address the staffing shortages and deteriorating infrastructure that have plagued many schools. Officials have yet to publicly respond to the specific demands but maintain that budget plans will seek to balance financial constraints with the need to support public services.

The situation reflects growing tensions in France over public sector funding and the challenges faced by the education system, as students and their families press for tangible improvements in their learning environments.