Europe faces a start to the school year marked by conflict and mobilizations in the education sector, driven mainly by budget cuts, the loss of purchasing power for teachers and institutional reforms .
In Finland, student strikes have taken place in protest against the massive budget cuts approved by the right-wing government, and the Education Union called for strikes between April and September to demand better working conditions. The Nordic country suffers from a shortage of preschool and primary school teachers , a problem it is trying to address by hiring teachers from other European countries, including Spain.
Teachers in Poland are demanding that base salaries be linked to the national average income, sparking union protests outside the Prime Minister's Office in Warsaw. They denounce net salaries of 975 euros per month , less than the 1,300 euros earned by an inexperienced supermarket cashier .
In Romania, students and teachers are protesting against the cuts implemented since 2025 to reduce the state deficit; unions are denouncing a reduction of more than 50% in funds for scholarships and aid for traveling by train.
The Greek secondary school teachers' federation called for daily one-hour strikes against mandatory overtime and three-hour strikes against teacher evaluations . In this sector, primary and secondary school teachers earn an average of around €1,200 net per month after months of protests.
In Belgium, protests by secondary school teachers and students have reignited due to budget cuts implemented to address the country's debt . Students are rejecting a 35% increase in university tuition fees and reductions in funding for school cafeterias and extracurricular activities , while teachers are opposing an increased teaching load without salary compensation.
In Portugal, low-intensity protests are taking place over low wages and errors in the digital marking of exams.
Although many European countries are experiencing peaceful demonstrations, in France the violence and intensity of the protests have escalated due to the harsh response from the police and the government. Student and labor groups have also denounced the infiltration of vandals into the protests.
This situation adds to the deep discontent over overcrowded classrooms, excessive working hours, and dilapidated facilities lacking adequate climate control, compounded by the loss of purchasing power, the shortage of professors, and the rejection of the lack of transparency surrounding the Parcoursup university reform . For the moment, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Switzerland remain unaffected by this wave of discontent.
Social and political demands
In Germany , recent student mobilizations have gone beyond education. On September 25, a protest brought together 45,000 students in more than 100 cities against mandatory medical examinations for young people of military age, the possible reintroduction of compulsory military service, and social spending cuts in favor of arms expenditures.
In the teaching field, 48% of German teachers believe that their school should do more for education.
In Serbia , the mobilization has taken on a unique dynamic, its political scope extending beyond educational demands. The catalyst for this scenario was the tragic collapse of a cantilevered section at Novi Sad station in November 2024 , which resulted in 16 deaths and which protesters directly attribute to corruption in public contracts.