Teachers will launch a 24-hour strike across Greece on Wednesday, October 21, protesting against staff shortages in schools, issues within educational infrastructure, excessive class sizes, and persistent inadequacies regarding school facilities in many parts of the country.
The teachers will be supported in their strike by pupils and university students as well as left-wing parties, including Communist KKE, and their unions.
The Greek Primary Teachers’ Federation (DOE) has organized demonstrations in Athens, Thessaloniki, Samos, and other cities.
Strike protests and events will involve teachers, pupils, and university students, all advocating for better educational conditions and safer school environments.
In Samos, a protest gathering will take place at 11:00 in Pythagoras Square in Vathy; organizers have called on teachers, parents, and pupils to attend.
In Athens, the gathering is scheduled for 12:00 at the Propylaea (Athens University on Panepistimiou Avenue), while in Thessaloniki, the demonstration will begin at 11:30.
According to teachers’ unions, significant staffing gaps remain, even though the school year has already begun. Particular emphasis is placed on the shortages of teachers for music, drama, and the visual arts, as well as on the need for additional teaching staff, school nurses, and psychologists in all-day schools.
At the same time, educators express their opposition to the operation of classes with 25 or more students, arguing that such conditions hinder the educational process and limit the effective support provided to children—especially those with heightened educational needs.
Improving school infrastructure is also among the key demands of the strike. Educators point to inadequate funding, a lack of building maintenance, and the urgent need for pre-seismic structural assessments to ensure the safety of both students and staff.
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Particular mention is made of Samos, where, according to educators, five school units are still housed in temporary container-style structures—six years after the devastating earthquake that struck the island.
Also on the agenda for these protests are the low salaries of educators, the rising cost of living, and the housing challenges faced by those serving far from their permanent place of residence.
PAME and other trade union organizations are expected to participate in the strike actions.
With the eyes to the protests and riots in France and Italy, the government is concerned about the outcome of the protest on upcoming Wednesday as protests in Greece turned ugly in not so distant past.