"The school students of Italy are not fooled. They gathered in their thousands across Italy today… Their response to Renzi: 'If you block our future, then we will block the city!'" a statement on the website read.
Students in #Turin rally to protest #Renzi's education reform bill #buonascuola http://t.co/3mNTCQKktl pic.twitter.com/1arDxv87uX
— Demotix (@Demotix) March 12, 2015
5) #Rome: 30,000 protest #Renzi administration by Willmck_photo http://t.co/NCJX4cmTTK #Newzulu7days7photos pic.twitter.com/0k6cTSL3F0
— Newzulu (@newzuluwire) March 6, 2015
The protesters marched in four of Italy's largest cities holding banners reading '12 March, a generation that will not surrender' and 'Stop Good School, a step backwards,' according to local media.
The student demonstrations in Italy took place ahead of the school reform bill being discussed in parliament later in the day.
The reform, known as 'the Good School,' was initiated by the government of Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi in autumn 2014. In particular, it is aimed at introducing private sector funding of schools, maintaining the system of increase in wages for teachers based on job seniority and bringing in unpaid apprenticeships for students studying technical subjects.
Opponents of the reform blame the government for attempting to privatize the school system.
