French teachers strike over having to work five-day week

PARIS (AFP) - 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.