Student protests intensify in France, disrupt classes at over 560 schools

Protests by high school students in France have intensified, with the education ministry saying classes have been disrupted at more than 560 schools nationwide.

The protest, which started in the Paris region, spread across the country within days.

Final-year students have blocked school main gates, raising their voices against long class hours, poor infrastructure, overheated classrooms and teacher shortages.

A student at Paris's Turgot school complained of having gone without a science teacher or textbooks for the whole year.

On Friday, the entrances of Paris's Léonard de Vinci and Gaston-Bachelard schools were set on fire, which firefighters brought under control.

Education Minister Edouard Geffray said that while some of the students' demands were legitimate, the protest had fallen into the hands of an extremely violent group. He said more than 100 schools had suffered serious damage.

Students, however, have accused police of using excessive force and tear gas.

With about six months remaining before the presidential election, the government has accused the leftist party France Unbowed (La France Insoumise) of stirring up the protests. The party's senior leader Manuel Bompard has rejected the accusation, calling it a conspiracy theory.