Students and teachers rally across Greece for education funding

Protesters demand funding and infrastructure improvements

Participants are demanding increased state funding for public education and universities. They are calling for free student housing and meals to mitigate the rising cost of living and the financial burden of studying away from home.

Students are raising concerns about the high costs associated with university studies, canteen prices, and transportation. They also highlighted issues with school trips and access to necessary educational resources.

Teachers are pressing for higher salaries and the permanent recruitment of staff to fill vacancies. They also demanded safer, better-maintained school buildings and improved laboratory equipment.

Parents’ groups are calling for more support staff, specifically citing shortages of special-education personnel and school nurses. They emphasized the need for less crowded classrooms and safer infrastructure to ensure a better learning environment.

The Athens Students’ Coordinating Committee joined the call for action, citing deteriorating infrastructure and planned changes to the education system. Unions oppose measures they say increase class sizes or place further pressure on teachers and pupils.

Teachers and civil servants join strike actions

The Teaching Federation of Greece (DOE) initiated a 24-hour nationwide strike on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. This industrial action impacts primary education institutions, including kindergartens and elementary schools. The federation cited critical staffing shortages, stating that these gaps are currently managed through the merging of classes and compulsory overtime. Teachers also reported being assigned duties outside their specific areas of expertise.

The Federation of Secondary Education State School Teachers (OLME) announced a three-hour work stoppage from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on the same day. OLME further encouraged local teachers' unions to consider additional actions earlier in the morning.

The Civil Servants’ Confederation (ADEDY) joined the strike by calling for a three-hour work stoppage. This union urged all public sector employees to participate in the rallies. The Federation of Secondary Education Teachers (OLME) and the Greek Primary Teachers Federation (DOE) both called on their members to engage in these strikes to demand increased funding for school maintenance and improved safety standards.

Rallies held in Athens and Thessaloniki

The mobilization began on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, with student groups gathering in central Athens. A symbolic encampment and concert were held in Syntagma Square. The concert had been postponed during a previous protest due to adverse weather conditions.

In Athens, the main education rally was scheduled for noon on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at the Propylaia, the historic entrance to the University of Athens. Following the rally at the Propylaia, participants planned a march to the Greek Parliament.

Demonstrations in Thessaloniki were scheduled for Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at the Venizelos Statue. Sources provided varying times for the Thessaloniki gathering, with reports citing 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.. These events were part of a broader series of rallies and actions planned in cities across Greece.

Broader labor participation in October 21 demonstrations

Hospital doctors and employees of the National Health System are striking on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, using the slogan “Give money for the people’s health — not for war and their profits”. These employees are demanding substantial pay increases and the recruitment of permanent staff, with a rally planned for noon outside the Finance Ministry.

Pensioners are also demonstrating across Greece on Wednesday, with their primary Athens gathering set for 10 a.m. at National Resistance Square, also called Kotzia Square. Culture Ministry employees, the Federation of Administrative Staff in Higher Education, and the Attica Association of Special Educational Staff in Special Education are participating in strike actions.

Special-education workers in Attica are also planning strike action due to thousands of unfilled positions. Meanwhile, at least 15 student associations from major universities in the Attica region, including the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the National Technical University of Athens, the University of West Attica, the Athens University of Economics and Business, and the association representing residents of newer student dormitories, have voted to join the Wednesday rally.

Students highlight housing crisis and cost of studies

Students began gathering at Syntagma Square from 6 p.m. on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. Some students had been camping in the square since October 13 to demand action against the housing crisis and the cost of studies.

The protest activity started on Tuesday with a symbolic overnight encampment and a solidarity concert. Students pitched tents under the slogan “Support measures now! For the cost of studies and student housing!”.

Antonis Lazos, president of the Student Union of the Athens School of Fine Arts, stated that students are paying “€600 and €700 in rent” and are being forced to return to their hometowns due to financial hardship.

Police security and logistical disruptions

Authorities have placed police on heightened alert in central Athens ahead of the demonstrations due to concerns regarding potential clashes and disruption. In Thessaloniki, five metro stations were closed from 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, following police orders.

These stations include Dimokratias, Venizelos, Agia Sofia, Sintrivani, and Panepistimio, where trains are passing through without stopping. The impact of these mobilizations varies by school and region, and parents are advised to contact individual schools to confirm if classes will take place.

European context and future campaign plans

These demonstrations are part of a wider wave of student and youth protests across Europe regarding education funding, housing costs, deteriorating public services, and the cost-of-living crisis. Protesters have adopted the slogan “From Greece to France, we fight for public and free education” to highlight shared anxieties among young people across Europe.

Student and labor groups are currently discussing further action in the coming weeks.