Get you up to speed: Thousands march for school funding in Greece
Thousands of students and teachers rallied in Athens and other cities across Greece, demanding increased funding for education, including better facilities and smaller class sizes. Greek police reported approximately 10,000 demonstrators participated peacefully in the protests on Wednesday, which included strikes by teachers and public sector workers.
The protests follow a series of youth-led demonstrations across Europe, reflecting widespread concerns over education funding and living costs. Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki stated that the government is investing more than 733 million euros in student residences and facilities upgrades, while Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ government has committed approximately one billion euros in subsidies to address rising energy costs.
Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki stated that the government is “listening to student demands,” highlighting investment of over 733 million euros in new student residences and facilities upgrades. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis faces increasing pressure as the government prepares for mid-2027 elections, amidst ongoing unrest linked to the cost-of-living crisis and demands for more substantial educational funding.
What remains unclear — It is unknown how the government plans to address the specific demands for better facilities and smaller class sizes amid ongoing protests.
Thousands protest in Greece demanding increased school funding
News|EducationThousands march for school funding in Greece
Public sector workers and teachers joined student protesters, amid growing youth-led demonstrations across Europe.
Published On 21 Oct 202621 Oct 2026
Thousands of students and teachers have rallied across cities in Greece, demanding more funding for education, including better facilities and smaller class sizes.
The demonstrations echo a wave of youth-led protests across Europe this month, including in France and Albania, where anger over rising costs and alleged corruption has led to clashes with police and major property damage.
Greek police said about 10,000 demonstrators, including school and university students, rallied peacefully in central Athens and the capital’s suburbs on Wednesday.
“From Greece to France, we want public, free education,” protesters chanted as they gathered outside Parliament, where students staged an overnight sit-in nearby before the rally.
Others joined the protests in Thessaloniki, Patras, Larissa and other cities across Greece in solidarity with growing demonstrations in France and elsewhere in Europe, where rallies demanding educational resources have morphed into angry demonstrations over soaring living costs.
Cost-of-living crisis
In Greece, the protests add pressure to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his centre-right government as the country prepares to hold elections in mid-2027 amid a weakening economy.
Greece struggled with a serious debt crisis from 2009 to 2018, during which the government agreed to spending cuts in exchange for three European Union and International Monetary Fund bailouts worth about 290 billion euros ($326bn).
But the measures have impacted Greek workers, who are among the poorest in Europe and struggle with stagnant wages, high rents and rising energy costs.
The average monthly salary of 1,500 euros ($1,685) sits at 2009 levels, with many young Greeks having been priced out of housing in cities by skyrocketing rents.
“Surviving here is very difficult; the rent is really high, the houses are really small. Our parents can’t make ends meet to pay for our rent, the electricity, for our life here,” university student Georgia Foukidou, 21, who joined the protest in Athens, told the Reuters news agency.
The protests on Wednesday included strikes by primary and secondary school teachers protesting low pay and staff shortages, while substitute teachers demanded permanent positions and reduced class sizes. Public sector workers and other unions also joined the demonstrations.
Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki said prior to the protests that she was listening to student demands, noting that the government was spending more than 733 million euros ($823m) on new student residences and facilities upgrades.
Mitsotakis’ government has also pledged about one billion euros ($1.12bn) in state subsidies and other benefits to offset increased energy costs for households and businesses due to the Iran war and inflation.