"Act 5" is set to begin on Tuesday, despite the government's attempts to ease tensions in various ways.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray has, among other things, promised to urgently deploy 3,000 substitute teachers to the high schools most in need, an effort that has already begun, according to Le Monde.
The student union USL says that is not enough and is calling for more protests. A march is set to leave Place d'Italie in Paris later in the day, heading for Les Invalides, not far from Matignon and the Ministry of Education. Calls for separate protests are also spreading on social media.
Greta Thunberg has now joined the protests. She was seen among protesters outside the Paul-Éluard high school in Saint-Denis, AFP reports.
The education ministry said around 200 schools were expected to close today, down from 130 on Monday, compared with 172 schools closed at the end of last week. Education Minister Édouard Geffray said the protests had subsided.
"We are seeing a decrease compared to previous weeks," he said.
Demonstrations are planned across the country during the day, in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Toulouse and Bordeaux.