Worldfocus

Giorgio Parisi, a professor at the La Sapienza University of Rome, gives a lesson in front of the Italian Parliament in protest of government education cuts.

Thousands of German students have taken to the streets, demanding smaller class sizes and more teachers. The country’s educational system was criticized by the United Nations in 2006.

The protests are only the latest in a string of demonstrations across Europe that have demanded educational reform.

Over the past month, Italy has seen the largest student demostrations in 15 years — tens of thousands of students and teachers across the country joining to protest a $10.2 billion cut in education and research funds.

The Italian Parliament approved the reforms in a vote last month. Italy’s education system is poor compared to other countries in western Europe.

Blogger “Danielle” outlines some of the cuts and posts images from a protest near her home. Watch a video here.

Blogger “Tim Hedges” defends Italian education minister Mariastella Gelmini, who is behind many of the reforms, arguing that trimming excesses in the system will promote efficiency.

Blogger “Kendra,” an American high school student studying in Italy, writes about the situation at her school, which has gone on strike. She describes the concerns of Italian students.

Educational cuts have also sparked controversy in France, where 11,200 teaching jobs were cut this year.

Blogger “Razvigor” posts an account of a protest in Paris, which featured songs and music.

“Brian’s Education Blog” compares French and British school systems, exploring the pitfalls of education in France.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Andrea Baldassarri under a Creative Commons license.