How a protest over missing teachers spread to 1,800 schools across France

Students chant slogans during a demonstration against under-resourced schools, in Paris, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026.|Teresa SuarezWhat began as protests over missing teachers, overcrowded classrooms and deteriorating schools has grown into a nationwide crisis in France, drawing hundreds of thousands into the streets and triggering violent clashes between demonstrators and police.
Students say years of underinvestment have left them with teacher shortages, long school days and deteriorating facilities