European Trade Union Committee for Education

In an interview with CNN International, ETUCE Director Jelmer Evers stressed that the school protests taking place in France are not just a French issue, but part of a broader European challenge.

Across Europe, students, teachers and education personnel are raising concerns about underinvestment, teacher shortages, growing workloads, deteriorating school infrastructure and unequal access to quality education. The demands heard on the streets of France echo calls being made by education communities in many other European countries.

The interview comes at a crucial moment. At the end of November, the European Commission and EU Member States are expected to present the EU Teachers' Agenda. ETUCE is calling for an ambitious agenda that addresses the root causes of teacher shortages, strengthens public investment in education and ensures that teachers have a meaningful voice in education policy.

As Jelmer Evers underlined, the message from students and teachers is clear: quality education requires political commitment, sustained investment and trust in the teaching profession. The growing mobilisation across Europe shows that education can no longer be treated as a secondary policy priority. It is an investment in Europe's democratic, social and economic future.