Police moved in across Paris, Lille, Lyon and Marseille to dismantle blockades that had turned 400 schools into barricaded zones, while clashes left 10 teachers, several students and 48 officers injured.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 440 people, most minors, were detained after the fire at Lille's Lycée César Baggio, where bins were set ablaze and tear gas was deployed.
The unrest coincides with the government's push for a €54 billion savings drive in its 2027 budget, a plan that CGT leaders say will slash wages and deepen the debt crisis.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray praised student rights to protest but slammed the violence, calling it "indefensible", while a 16‑year‑old student from Bordeaux warned that 34 pupils per class is unsustainable.
Lecornu must present the draft budget in Paris tomorrow, and unions have warned that any further strikes could erupt if the government does not reverse or mitigate the cuts.