Student protests over staff shortages and deteriorating school buildings turned violent across France on Thursday.
Fires were reported at several schools and teachers accidentally splashed with petrol.
At Marseille’s Victor Hugo high school, officials said a student trying to throw gasoline into a bin accidentally splashed nearby teachers.
Earlier reports had described the incident as an assault.
At another Marseille school, hundreds surrounded a fire engine responding to a blaze.
Protesters forced firefighters to abandon the vehicle before protesters set it alight.
A separate fire broke out at a school in Nantes, although no injuries were reported there.
So how did school complaints reach this point?
The demonstrations and blockades began last week and have now become a political headache for the government.
Dozens injured and hundreds arrested, mostly teenagers.
School Violence Escalates
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said some troublemakers were moving between schools to encourage violence.
In Saint-Denis, students also accused police of using heavy-handed tactics, including tear gas.
Education Minister Edouard Geffray is due to meet teachers, parents and student representatives as officials search for a way forward.
“Violence will not keep our students from their fundamental right to an education,” Geffray said.
With frustration over classrooms spilling into the streets, France now faces a difficult question.
How can schools be fixed without turning the school gates into another battleground?
