Teachers in France have gone on strike to protest Covid-19 protocols in schools. Teachers are accusing changes to France’s Covid-19 testing requirements of causing chaos and putting teachers’ lives in danger. The French Ministry of Education told CNN that roughly 31% of all schoolteachers were on strike on Thursday. The figures reported by the ministry were significantly lower than those given by a French teachers’ union earlier in the day. This led the Combined National Union of Primary School Teachers to believe that the French government is downplaying the magnitude of the strike.
In Paris, 58% of teachers were allegedly on strike Thursday. The massive protests caused 200 schools to close for the day due to understaffing. The protest in Paris began around lunchtime and were organized by teachers’ unions operating across the country and in specific regions. The strike was not against the virus, but rather a protest against the lack of consultation with the teachers and administration officials of schools themselves. Prime Minister Jean Castex and Education Minister Jean-Michel Balnquer have planned to meet Thursday afternoon with representatives of the teachers on strike.
Read More: French teachers strike in protest at Covid-19 school protocols
