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SCMP Reporter

Seven teachers at the French International School went on an unprecedented strike yesterday in protest against the cutting of classes.

  About 90 students were forced to take the day off and another 30 attended lessons in other classes.

  The striking teachers are from the school's kindergarten and primary sections.

  The school at Jardine's Lookout closed a kindergarten class this academic year and one teacher's contract was not extended.

  Some teachers were afraid more would be sacked.

  They wrote to students' parents this week telling them they would strike.

  An anxious mother, whose child is studying in Primary One, said: 'I don't know what really happened. My child passed me a note from his teacher.

   'It read some teachers were planning a strike.

  'We are very upset. I hope the children will not be affected and I hope the strike will be finished soon.' School principal Paul Lagriffoul said about 100 students were affected.

   He said only seven out of the 109 teaching staff stopped work. All had promised to resume working today.

  He said the school had cut a kindergarten class because it did not have enough students.

  The school, founded in 1964, has about 1,000 students this year, a drop of 80 students from last year.

  'We have moved our kindergarten session to Kowloon because we do not have enough space here. But the location is not very good and some children quit,' said Mr Lagriffoul.

  'We hope we will have more students when our new building is completed in 1998,' he said.

  The school rents the British Military Hospital for some kindergarten lessons.

  The Education Department has agreed in principle to grant land to the school next to its existing campus. But it has yet to work out the details.

  The school is a non-profit making private establishment.



Students sent home as strike hits school

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