Teachers strike over 5-day work week
2013-01-22 21:33
Paris - Most primary schools in Paris shut down on Tuesday
as teachers went on strike over the Socialist government's plans to make
children attend classes five days a week, instead of the current four.
President Francois Hollande promised as part of his
election campaign last year to add a half day of classes on Wednesday -
currently a day off - and shorten the school day for the rest of the week.
His argument was that French kids' education was
suffering because they had one of the shortest school years in Europe but the
longest school day.
But teachers are worried that the extra half day - due to
be introduced as from September this year - will add to what they see as their
already heavy workload without any financial gain.
Jerome Lambert of the teachers' union, SNUipp-FSU, noted
that teachers, a majority of whom are Socialist supporters, were
"disappointed" by what he said was a reform that in reality was no
more than window-dressing.
"We need to reopen the debate," he said.
Nicolas Wallet, a teacher from a central Paris school,
said the government's promise to provide sporting or cultural activities to
make up for the shortened school day was not credible.
The education ministry has proposed a range of activities
to fill the extra time children would have after school if the reform goes
ahead.
But that could require extra staff and more funding from
budgets already strained by the economic crisis gripping France.
The striking teachers planned to hold a protest march
later on Tuesday.
French primary schools have had a mid-week break since
the 19th century.
But the state provides low-cost "leisure
centres" - which are usually in schools - where working parents can send
their children on Wednesdays.
Following his election in May, Hollande vowed to make
education a key focus of his five-year term.
He proposed reducing the number of students forced to
repeat grades, increasing teacher levels, schooling children at younger ages in
disadvantaged areas and boosting measures to fight absenteeism.
