Half of French schools could close Thursday 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 Tuesday statement announcing the strike. 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. Video: AFP Coming as France's presidential election campaign gets under way ahead of an April vote, the walkout is uncomfortable for a government that has prided itself on keeping schools open to ease pressure on parents through the pandemic. With many pupils off sick and difficulty combining distance learning with in-person classes, "it's not school that's open, but a kind of 'daycare'," Snuipp-FSU said. President Emmanuel Macron's presidential election challengers have seized on the strike. "I feel the enormous pain both of the school community and especially of parents," conservative candidate Valerie Pecresse told...