France, Oct. 8 -- The number of schools disrupted by the protests fell by around 30 percent on Thursday, the Education Ministry said. Of France's 3,700 secondary schools, 224 remained completely closed and 151 were partially open, while 94 percent were operating at least partly as normal.

Students were again called to block schools and university campuses and join demonstrations across France. Several education unions are also backing Thursday's mobilisation with strike action.

Speaking in a televised address on Wednesday evening, Lecornu said France could not remain "indifferent" to the concerns being raised by high school students, acknowledging that "the anger of young people does not come from nowhere".

He said the government's fir...