Students and teachers across Greece protest for education funding and better conditions in schools

Thousands of students, university students and teachers protested in Greece on Wednesday, calling for increased education funding, better salaries, additional staff and improved conditions in schools. Approximately 10,000 people took part in demonstrations in Athens, according to police, while similar protests were held in cities across the country.

Demonstrators gathered in the capital’s center, including Syntagma Square, where students had set up tents and organized an overnight protest. “From Greece to France, we want public and free education,” participants chanted, expressing solidarity with protests in other European countries sparked by the rising cost of living and deteriorating conditions in schools.

The protests disrupted the activity of public schools and hospitals after some teachers and doctors went on strike. The demonstrations are increasing pressure on the government led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis ahead of the elections scheduled for mid-2027.

Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki said she was considering the protesters’ demands and announced projects worth more than 733 million euros to build student housing and modernize infrastructure. Dissatisfaction is being fueled by stagnant wages, high rents and rising energy costs in a country still feeling the effects of the debt crisis and austerity measures implemented between 2009 and 2018.