Hundreds of teachers from all levels of the Greek education system gathered outside Parliament on Tuesday evening following the invitation of the group, “Education 2015” (Paideia 2015). Shouting slogans against the Education Minister Aristidis Baltas and the government’s education reforms, such as “No to Baltas! No to the flattening of Education!” “Baltas to Baltas! No to Education and to all of us!” “Down to the Law that takes schools and universities 40 years back!”

Protestors are opposed to the sweeping reforms included in the omnibus bill presented by Baltas. Changes include increasing students role in the election of university officials and the scrapping of independent associations that oversee the running of institutions. On their part, primary school teachers are also angry over the wider education reforms, stating that the government failed to properly consult with educators before deciding at their implementation.

The government is accused of going from supporting teachers during their protests when it was in opposition to now ignoring their requests.

Amongst those present at the rally were conservative New Democracy deputy Adonis Georgiadis, former conservative Athens University Dean Theodoros Fortsakis, deputy Kyriakos Mitsotakis, socialist PASOK deputy Andreas Loverdos and former socialist deputies Yiannis Maniatis and Anna Diamantopoulou.