Half of French schools could close as up to three-quarters of teachers walk out, pushing back against the government after three changes of Covid rules for classrooms in the space of a week.

The strike “demonstrates the growing despair in schools”, the largest teachers' union Snuipp-FSU said in a statement announcing the strike on Tuesday.

They complain that their members are unable to teach properly, are not adequately protected against coronavirus infection and frequently hear about changes to health precautions via the media rather than from higher-ups, according to an AFP report.