Student opposition to the French Government's announced education reforms has widened, and some communist unions have announced they will support the students.

Several thousand university and college students marched through Paris on Tuesday (18 March) waving communist and anarchist flags and shouting anti-Government slogans. As the marchers neared the Place de la Nation riot police moved in with tear gas. The demonstration broke up.

The French Education Minister, M. Rene Haby, has drawn up a series of proposals which would make secondary education more selective. The students say they want universities and college to be autonomous. They claim the Government's plans would discriminate against prospective students from lower income families.