Most secondary schools in New Caledonia are closed because of a strike by five education sector unions.
The strike affects about 10-thousand students.
The action was taken in protest at the planned changes of the health care system that will come into effect on July the 1st.
The union members say their premiums will go up while the cover will be worse.
They also say they want to be tied to a system in place for teaching staff sent from mainland France.
The new social security system is to accommodate all of New Caledonia's inhabitants and replace provisions offered by a system which incurred a huge deficit.
