Tunisian authorities have suspended the salary payments of 17,000 teachers and sacked 350 school principals.

The move affects nearly a third of the country’s primary school teachers, and follows widespread recent protests by education staff across the country.

These protests have included refusing to hand in the school grades of pupils.

The Tunisian government has insisted that the country’s dire economic problems mean that the teachers’ pay demands are unaffordable.

Tunisia is facing high inflation, rising unemployment and severe shortages of some staple foods.