French teachers strike over Covid-19 risks in crowded classrooms
Organisers of the industrial action say the health of both students and teachers is at risk due to insufficient protocols to protect against the virus.
FrenchFrench teachers' unions held a nationwide day of protests and strikes on Tuesday to call for stricter safety and hygiene measures in schools as coronavirus infections continue to soar across the country, reports FRANCE 24.
The protests closed a number of schools in Paris, with roughly one in 10 teachers taking part, FRANCE 24 correspondent Christopher Moore reported. Organisers say the health of both students and teachers is at risk due to insufficient protocols to protect against the virus. Crowded classrooms and canteens make social distancing difficult, they say.
The protests came a week after riot police pepper-sprayed students who blockaded a Paris high school in protest over inadequate sanitary measures.
The education ministry has sought to allay concerns by allowing secondary schools to offer more online teaching, on the condition that pupils take at least 50 percent of classes at school.
