From France to Italy, Belgium to Greece, student protests spread across Europe

A protester holds a French flag behind a barricade to block the Boulevard Saint-Germain during a blockade of Sciences Po university in Paris. Across Europe, a protest movement that began with French high-school students is increasingly finding echoes in neighbouring countries, as young people complain about overcrowded classrooms, teacher shortages, ageing school buildings, rising education costs and cuts to public spending.The unrest is not being organised as a single Europe-wide movement. The grievances are different from country to country, but the concerns are strikingly similar. Students are increasingly questioning whether governments are putting enough money into education at a time when schools and universities are struggling with staff shortages, infrastructure problems and higher costs.France becomes the flashpointThe movement began in the Paris region in mid-September, when high-school students and teachers protested over a lack of resources and staff. It quickly spread across France, with students blocking school entrances and later joined by university students, parents and trade unions.Their complaints include overcrowded classrooms, teachers not being replaced when a...