Following a statewide education strike, France's education minister announced that the government will provide five million FFP2 masks and engage 3,300 contract workers
On Thursday, tens of thousands of teachers and school employees went on strike to protest the government's handling of the COVID-19 situation.
Several instructors and school employees told Euronews that the situation in schools was "catastrophic," with one high school teacher calling the shortage of personnel and masks "catastrophic."
Many people also chastised the government for modifying the protocol for contacts of children who test positive for COVID-19, despite the fact that France has more than 300,000 instances of the virus per day.
During a statewide protest against COVID regulations, French teachers describe the situation as "catastrophic."
According to Benjamin Grandener, co-secretary of one of the main French education unions' Rhône chapter, the situation in schools is a "utter shambles."
He said that the government's approach of having pupils in classes with COVID cases self-test three times a week was ineffective since pharmacies were out of the tests.
Late on Thursday, Education Minister Blanquer announced that the government would supply five million FFP2 masks to instructors who "require them," particularly those who work with uncovered young children.
He did not specify whether the government will give surgical masks to school employees, which is one of the strikers' key demands.
Due to the health issue, Blanquer said that the impending evaluations for elementary school children, which were supposed to take place next week, will be postponed.
The administration will begin conversations with high school students on whether to postpone specialized exams currently scheduled for March.
"The best response to this virus is our national unity," Blanquer said, "which is also based on a good shared understanding of the challenges of responding (and) our capacity to admit with humility that nothing is perfect, that we can, of course, make things better, and that's what we'll continue to try to do."