French teachers to walk out over Covid confusion

Half of French schools could close Thursday as up to three-quarters of teachers walk out, pushing back against the government after three changes of Covid rules for classrooms in one week

Half of French schools could close Thursday as up to three-quarters of teachers walk out, pushing back against the government after three changes of Covid rules for classrooms in the space of a week.

The strike "demonstrates the growing despair in schools", the largest teachers' union Snuipp-FSU said in a Tuesday statement announcing the strike.

Coming as France's presidential election campaign gets under way ahead of an April vote, the walkout is uncomfortable for a government that has prided itself on keeping schools open to ease pressure on parents through the pandemic.

President Emmanuel Macron's presidential election challengers have seized on the strike.

Motivated by long queues for tests outside pharmacies, the government this week eased rules on Covid checks for students who have been exposed to an infected person, with Prime Minister Jean Castex announcing the changes on Monday's evening news.

The shift up the chain of command appeared to be a reaction to the anger teachers direct at Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer.

But his management of the pandemic response in school has prompted a total of 11 unions to participate in Thursday's walkout, in a rare show of unity that could make for the biggest strike in decades.

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Originally published as French teachers to walk out over Covid confusion