www.economica.net/guvernul-de-la-roma-taie-mii-de-

The Italian government plans to cut teaching and auxiliary staff in schools due to declining birth rates, sparking protests from unions and opposition parties. The approved budget includes a reduction of nearly 5,000 teaching positions and over 2,000 non-teaching roles starting in the 2027-2028 school year. Critics argue that this demographic decline should be an opportunity to enhance education quality, not weaken it. Italy faces a significant demographic crisis, with student numbers dropping from 8.4 million in 2017-2018 to 7.7 million in 2024-2025. The government, constrained by EU budget rules and rising energy costs, is also dealing with public protests over living costs, including demands for increased educational funding.