Thousands of Greek students protest school shortages

Thousands of Greek students demonstrated around the country on Wednesday over the cost of living and public education, with pupils and teachers also protesting poor infrastructure and staff shortages.

Police put turnout at the Athens demonstration at at least 5,000 people. Similar protests were held in other major Greek cities, and dozens of students had earlier set up tents on Athens' Syntagma Square and on a pedestrian street in Thessaloniki.

State hospital doctors and civil servants also staged strikes and work stoppages on Wednesday. Secondary school pupils and teachers called for better school infrastructure, more staff and increased public spending on education.

Teachers' union OLME said there is a shortage of 15,000 secondary school teachers nationwide. Eurostat data showed Greece spent 3.3% of national output on education in 2023, below the European average of 4.7%.

Recent school safety incidents have added to concern. Earlier this month, falling roof plaster injured a 14-year-old schoolboy in a classroom in Thermi, near Thessaloniki. A similar incident occurred on Monday at the entrance of an Athens school outside operating hours, and a major Athens school complex has been closed for almost two weeks over a gas leak scare that remains under investigation.