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Demonstrators take part in a students’ protest in Brussels, Belgium, on October 17, 2026. YVES HERMAN / REUTERS High school students have staged protests in recent weeks against higher university registration fees, but Interior Minister Bernard Quintin blamed the troubles on “organized violence.”

France, Marseilles

October 8, 2026. Massive demonstration by high school students in the streets of Marseille (France).

France, Nantes

High-school students march in Nantes, western France, amid nationwide protests on October 13, 2026. © Sébastien Salom-Gomis, AFP. French students staged another day of nationwide protests on Tuesday (October 13) over poor school conditions, including teacher shortages and dilapidated buildings, vowing to keep up the pressure ahead of half-term holidays. Around 480,000 protesters joined in on the demonstrations

France, Paris

French Students Rally at Bastille Square in Paris. Demand Education Reforms. Streamed live on 8 Oct 2026. More than 250,000 people took to the streets across France to demand increased funding for schools, as a growing student-led protest movement puts pressure on the government. Police fired tear gas in Paris and other cities after some demonstrations turned confrontational. The protests began with high school students demanding better facilities, more staff, and improved resources but have now grown into a nationwide movement.

France, Rennes

Students chant slogans during a march to protest against under-resourced schools in Rennes, Brittany, on October 13, 2026. © Jeremias Gonzalez, AP. Tens of thousands of people joined rallies across France on Tuesday to support protesting high school students, boosting a movement that poses a major challenge to President Emmanuel Macron as his term in office winds down. Unions helping organise Tuesday’s rallies put the countrywide turnout at 480,000.

A student demonstration in Strasbourg, eastern France, on October 6, 2026. University students and high school pupils took part in protests in the city amid growing tensions over government policies and education-related measures. The demonstration later escalated into clashes between protesters and police in central Strasbourg.

Germany

October 18, Around 300 students march through Berlin, Germany, in solidarity with French students demanding better education conditions. Demonstrators also protest education cuts in Germany and compulsory military service, with some chanting in support of Palestine

Italy

16 Oct 2026. Europe’s student protests reach Italy. Hundreds of students march to the Education Ministry building in Rome. Italian riot police have surrounded the Education Ministry. The unrest is part of the larger wave of student demonstrations erupting across Europe.

Portugal

Across Portugal, thousands of teachers, parents, and community members joined a national mobilisation to defend public education and demand urgent action to address the growing teacher shortage. Under the banner of Education International’s Go Public! Fund Education campaign, the National Federation of Teachers FENPROF organised a nationwide caravan that brought the debate directly into schools, towns and cities, reinforcing the call for greater investment in public education and the teaching profession. Travelling more than 2,500 kilometres through all 18 districts of mainland Portugal and the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira, the caravan underlined: “We are teachers, we shape the future! Value us — now!”

Spain

Teachers in Spain’s Madrid region have launched an indefinite strike, demanding better pay, fewer teaching hours and improved working conditions. The protests took place in central Madrid on October 14, 2026, as police clashed with student protesters at Complutense University. Teachers are seeking an additional €600 per month, fewer classroom hours and smaller class sizes. Primary school teacher Isabel Sanz said educators in Madrid are among the lowest-paid in Spain despite the region being one of the country’s most expensive places to live. The regional government said 44.6% of Madrid’s 65,000 teachers joined the strike, while the Comisiones Obreras trade union put first-day participation at 70%. Protesters also raised concerns about underfunding at public universities and the expansion of private education.

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