France witnessed its largest wave of school protests on Tuesday, as students, teachers, and parents marched across major cities demanding urgent government action to fix understaffed and dilapidated schools.

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Hundreds of schools were blockaded, with teenagers holding smoke flares and placards to voice anger over overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, and crumbling infrastructure. Protesters blamed years of underinvestment for worsening conditions that have disrupted learning across the country.

Demonstrations began peacefully in Marseille, Nantes, and Lyon during the morning, with the largest rally expected in Paris later in the day. Organizers described the mobilization as the “biggest day of action” in the ongoing wave of protests, which has already forced partial closures in hundreds of schools.

Parents joined students and teachers, highlighting that the crisis affects not only education but also the future of France’s youth. Calls for hiring more substitute teachers, repairing facilities, and reducing long school days have grown louder, with unions warning of continued unrest unless reforms are enacted.

The protests underscore mounting frustration with the government’s handling of education, turning schools into a flashpoint for broader social discontent.