The trade unions have called for a massive increase in staff numbers across all levels of French education.
They asked the education minister to immediately draft in reinforcements, drawing additional staff from the lists of those who were narrowly rejected in the last round of competitions for jobs.
The web site of centrist daily newspaper Le Monde says reaction to the call for a strike is likely to be variable, both regionally and according to class seniority.
Le Monde says this is the first Covid strike, but is the prolongation of an ancient struggle between teaching staff and their ministry.
In total, six separate unions representing teachers have called on members to strike for one day in protest "in every situation where proper health-protection conditions are not assured".
Government pre-emptive move
Since the strike call, issued on 4 November, the government has attempted to defuse teacher anger by announcing relaxed rules for school attendance by high school students.
A number of teachers contacted by Le Monde confirmed that they would work normally today, believing that the authorities have already conceded by allowing classes to function with reduced numbers.
The situation is less clear in French junior high schools, where the rules on attendance and half classes have not been agreed by the government.
Je représentais le @SNALC_National ce matin sur France Inter. On a expliqué le protocole sanitaire, les demi-classes et la #GreveSanitaire #greve10novembre. https://t.co/22T8Hoxq1f
— Jean-Rémi GIRARD (@SuisEnRetard) November 9, 2020
Jean-Rémi Girard, representing the national high-school union, Snalc, says many junior high school teachers wonder at the logic of cutting numbers in senior classes, while leaving the situation unchanged for the younger age groups, where the health dangers remain serious.
French junior school teachers are not concerned by today's call for a work stoppage.
