#WakeUp
😈💩👎
Ruptly
French teachers went on a national strike and took to the street to protest current COVID safety protocol in schools, as seen in Paris on Tuesday.
Despite the lockdown currently in place in the country, dozens of demonstrators holding signs calling for the resignation of Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer staged a rally near the Ministry of National Education offices in East Paris.
"What offends us the most is the health situation and the lack of suitable protection. We wear fabric masks as you can see here, and they do not protect us against the spread of the epidemic," explained a teacher at the rally.
France entered a second national lockdown last month. Schools remain open with children over six years old having to wear face masks in the classroom.
With over 1.8 million cases, France has the highest number of confirmed cases of the virus in Europe. More than 41,000 people have died with the virus in the country according to Johns Hopkins University.
*SOUNDBITES*
OT, Magalie, School teacher (French): "What offends us the most is the health situation and the lack of suitable protection. We wear fabric masks as you can see here, and they do not protect us against the spread of the epidemic. Some of us work with a one-meter security distance with the students. To this day, teachers who take care of special students have no suitable protection. We want type 2, surgical face masks, individual hand sanitisers, and we also want resources for schools."
SOT, Michel, French and History Teacher (French): "No additional staff, no opening of new premises. So today we are contemplating the possibility of leaving children part-time at home and not go to school. That's a problem. But it's the same policy that was carried out in the hospitals. Because in the hospitals they did not hire new personnel, they did not increase the number of beds. Today we find ourselves in the second wave and with fewer resources than what we had last spring to cope."
SOT, Elise, Teacher: "It is not only the hydro-alcoholic gel and the mask, but it is also all that there is around. The total degradation of the National Education for nearly 20 years in France. With an acceleration in particular under Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer and under President Macron administration."