Paris: French teachers will come out of the mass work on Thursday for what they say is the failure of the government to adopt coherent policies for schools to manage Covid-19 pandemics, or protect students and staff correctly against infection.
Teachers, parents and school administrators have struggled to follow new testing rules, announced before the end of the Christmas holiday but changed twice since following criticism.
The government, after reversing the previous policy quickly turned off the class with positive Koronavirus cases, said some level of complications was the price to pay for school.
But the new year’s surge in infection to record a daily rate of nearly 370,000 in France has caused cases that surge in school too.
That means that many schools are difficult to pressure to remain teaching, partly because of infection among students and staff but also because every positive case has resulted in dozens sent to the laboratory and pharmacies for testing.
“Fatigue and annoyance from all educational communities have reached an unprecedented level,” Eleven Union said in a joint statement.
“The responsibility of the minister and government in this chaotic situation is total because of the unrelenting steps, the protocol that cannot be executed and the lack of appropriate tools to guarantee (school) can function properly.” Exchange unions said they expected many schools to be closed on Thursday and a large number of teachers – including around 75% in elementary school – to join a one-day strike.
Urgent teachers not to leave work, Minister of Education Jean-Michel Blanquer told BFM TV: “Someone does not attack the virus.” In response, the trade union said they had said the strike did not oppose the virus but for disorganization caused by examinations and contact rules, increasing the risk of transmission and lack of facial masks for staff.