Riot cops gas protest students
Students come out in force to reject proposed job cuts that will see a reduction in the number of teachers.
RIOT police fired tear gas at teenage students during protests against the government's plan to cut teachers’ jobs.
Union representatives said between 40,000 and 50,000 demonstrators took part in the march in Paris on Tuesday.
It was the sixth and biggest protest over the past three weeks against the proposed 11,200 job cuts, including 8,830 teaching positions.
The cuts are part of a drive by Sarkozy's government to streamline the public service and cut France's huge spending deficit.
However, student groups and the opposition Socialist Party argue that the measures will affect the quality of education.
The protest action has been gaining momentum and is expected to culminate with national demonstrations on May 15 and 24.
Students carried placards telling President Nicolas Sarkozy: "Just scrap one job: the one at the Elysée".
Other banners, that targeted Education Minister Xavier Darcos, read: "Students are angry"
Florian Lecoultre, president of the UNL student union, said: "Providing the means to deliver remains our central demand.
“Xavier Darcos cannot deny that this is central to quality education.”
Mr Darcos has repeatedly vowed not to backtrack on the job cuts that the government has said will be achieved by not replacing retiring personnel.
He said: "I don't want to talk about this issue of posts because it seems to me that everyone agrees on the fact that this is not the real issue.
"When you have 1,000 students for 100 teachers, whether they be 98 or 102, fundamentally, that's not what will reform our secondary schools.
"France is a very nervous, very conservative country.
“Let's be frank, when modernisation is proposed, there is resistance."
