Massive student protests in Italy paralyzing city centers

[the_future_modernes]

Italian students are protesting the hell out of govt cuts to education at the moment BBC Slideshow here

BBC sez:

The reform package is expected to cut the education budget.

In primary schools there will be just one all-purpose teacher per class and a grade system for pupils' behaviour.

The package will reinstate a 10-point system for grading pupils' conduct, aimed at curbing bullying.

The government decree became law on Wednesday with 162 senators voting in favour and 134 against.

The leader of the centre-left opposition Democratic Party (PD), Walter Veltroni, vowed to push for a national referendum to get the decree repealed.

Wednesday's demonstrations followed similar protests against the reform package in the past two weeks.

In Milan and Naples students occupied train station platforms, the Italian news agency Ansa reported. Several other cities also saw protests on Wednesday, including Brescia, Cagliari and Padua.MORE

Anyone have more info on precisely what else is going on in the budget cuts?


ETA: Via Macleans on the 25th Nov

The students were protesting a series of education reforms brought forth by the Italian parliament that would see 8 billion euros ($12billion USD) removed from the education system and cuts to 130,000 jobs. The banner that hanged from the tower read, “No to the Gelmini (Education Minister Mariastella Gelmini) reform.”MORE

Apparently the protests have been going on for a while now?