French teachers go on strike over handling of pandemic
ABC News
Less than two weeks after the winter term started, French teachers are already exhausted by the pressures of surging COVID-19 cases
PARIS -- Less than two weeks after the winter term started, French teachers are already exhausted by the pressures of surging COVID-19 cases.
On Thursday, French teachers are walking out in a nationwide strike organized by teacher’s unions to protest virus-linked class disruptions and ever-changing isolation rules.
France is at the epicenter of Europe’s current fight against COVID-19, with new infections topping 360,000 a day in recent days, driven by the highly contagious omicron variant. Teachers are upset and want clarifications on rules and more protections, such as extra masks and tests to help with the strain.
“The month of January is a tough one (for schools),” Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer acknowledged on France 2 television. His ministry counted 50,000 new COVID-19 cases among students in “recent days” and a huge number of classes shut down due to the virus: 10,553. The figures are expected to worsen in the coming weeks.
