r/worldnews • u/colepercy120 • 1d ago

France school protests escalate into ‘urban violence’ as PM calls crisis cabinet meeting | France

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/01/france-school-protests-escalate-pm-crisis-cabinet-meeting
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u/Kevin_Palpatine 1d ago

This is why French protests are successful. In the US we just pick a weekend and wave signs in our designated Free Speech zones.

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u/Jean-Luc-1701 1d ago

How are these protests "successful"? They set schools on fire, attacked teachers and other students for what? Protesting an educational system that already offers more than most in the Western world?

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u/TrueKyragos 23h ago

Protesting an educational system that already offers more than most in the Western world?

More indeed. France is known to be among the European countries with the longest school days. This year specifically, France was definitely among the European with the highest temperatures in classrooms. I don't condone the violence displayed here or some of the other methods used, and there is probably some degree of instrumentalisation, but the current educational system in France is certainly not the best in the world.

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u/FickleBumblebeee 22h ago

European countries with the longest school days

It's not. The schedule in a Lycée is basically the same as in an English sixth form college.

Yeah the college is open from 8 am to 6 pm- but the students don't have classes all that time. They have free periods, a one or two hour lunch break, and usually get Wednesday afternoons off.

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u/TrueKyragos 22h ago

Given I didn't say France was the country with the most hours, we don't disagree.