Brussels (Eurotoday) – On Monday, Nov 10, 2025, in Brussels, police charged teachers who stayed at Surlet de Chokier Square after protesting reforms by Walloon Education Minister Valérie Glatigny (MR); no arrests were made.
As Niewsblade News reported, on Monday, Nov 10, 2025, French-speaking teachers protested at Surlet de Chokier Square in Brussels against reforms by Walloon Education Minister Valérie Glatigny (MR).
Officials mentioned that the Brussels gathering was scheduled from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., but the crowd grew as the morning went on. This led to an unplanned march from the Madou metro station to the Botanical Garden and back to the square. The procession caused traffic disruptions along the route.
What are French-speaking teachers protesting in Brussels over Glatigny’s reforms?
At 11:00 a.m., police asked organisers to clear the square. Many protesters stayed, reportedly still in talks with Minister Glatigny. Demonstrators said they did not receive the warning and were still present around 11:30 a.m.
Police then formed a line to move the protesters toward Madou Square. A police officer said the action was needed because protesters blocked traffic without permission. About 10 identity checks were carried out, but no arrests were made.
“I didn’t understand it,
a teacher explained to Belga.
“We had to leave, and suddenly the police charged. I was there with students. I’m still shocked.”
Teachers in French-speaking Belgium have been protesting recent education reforms for several weeks. At the end of October 2025, Walloon Education Minister Valérie Glatigny (MR) announced a series of austerity measures. They increase teaching hours for secondary and higher education teachers without additional pay. Other changes include cuts to the materials budget, higher school fees, and the removal of free education for the youngest pupils.
Union representatives, including Lejeune, say the constant changes create “enormous mental pressure”. They also say the measures were introduced without proper consultation after unsuccessful negotiations.
“When she adds two hours to the workday for teachers in higher education, she doesn’t realise that this means more students, more parents, and more meetings. This will lead to 1,500 fewer jobs,”
says Fabrice Pinna of the CSC teachers’ union.
In recent months, teachers’ unions have held several demonstrations to protest government cuts and pension reforms. They have announced a 3-day national strike from November 24, 2025, to November 26, 2025. Large numbers of participants are expected across Wallonia and Brussels. The unions say the strike aims to pressure the government to reconsider its education policies.
“Education has been hit by a succession of measures for years,”
says Hugo Lejeune, a union representative for the SLFP education union.
Similar teacher protests have previously taken place in French-speaking Belgium. In 2023, educators in Wallonia undertook strikes and demonstrations against budget cuts and pension reforms. Schools in Namur, Liège, and Brussels closed briefly as dozens of teachers marched through the streets to demand better pay, working conditions, and involvement in policy changes.
Comments
20 responses to “Brussels Teachers Demonstrate Against Glatigny Reforms Before Strike”
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Looks like Glatigny’s “reforms” have turned Brussels into a spontaneous traffic jam—just what every teacher dreams of before their coffee. 😏 Who needs a peaceful protest when you can have a free-for-all parade, eh?
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Seems like Glatigny’s idea of reform is to turn our classrooms into a budget airline—more hours, less comfort, and don’t even think about free snacks! 🍟✈️ Who knew education could get so “affordable”? 😂
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Oh, splendid! Nothing says “let’s improve education” like adding more hours to teachers’ workloads while slashing budgets – truly the recipe for success, innit? 🎓💼
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Looks like Glatigny’s reforms are a hit, eh? Nothing like adding hours to a teacher’s day without pay to make education more… *efficient* 🤷♂️.
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Oh, nothing screams “let’s invest in our future” like slashing education budgets and piling on extra hours for teachers! Bravo, Glatigny, truly a masterclass in reform! 🍷🙄
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You’d think teachers asking for a fair deal was a crime in Brussels, not just a Tuesday morning stroll! 🚶♂️📚 What’s next, a fine for wanting to educate without going broke? 🤷♂️
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Oh, nothing says “we care about education” quite like adding hours to teachers’ workloads without a raise—classic! Guess the real lesson here is how to dodge traffic while protesting, eh? 🚦📚
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Seems like Glatigny’s reforms are a masterclass in how to turn teachers into traffic cones—blocking the streets without any extra pay for the hassle. Bravo, I must say! 🇧🇪🙃
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Seems like Glatigny’s idea of education reform is just adding more hours to the clock—because who doesn’t love a good dose of stress with their morning coffee? ☕🕒
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Seems like the teachers in Brussels have found a new way to add “excitement” to their morning routine—who needs coffee when you can have police charges? ☕🚓
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Oh, brilliant! Nothing like a good ol’ protest to spice up a Monday morning in Brussels. Who knew teachers could multitask so well—protesting, marching, and causing traffic jams all before lunch? 😂
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Can’t wait to see how many more hours of unpaid overtime the teachers will rack up before they finally get a coffee break… or maybe they should just consider it a new form of team-building exercise! 😂☕️
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Looks like the teachers in Brussels have found a new way to ‘enrich’ their work-life balance – by adding a few extra hours of unpaid overtime in the name of ‘education reform.’ Just what we need, more meetings about how to cram more into less time! 😂
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Looks like the teachers in Brussels are really getting a crash course in “how to protest while being politely asked to leave.” 😂 Maybe they’ll teach us all a lesson in patience while we wait for the government to finally figure out what ‘education’ really means! 🥴
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Seems like Glatigny’s idea of reform is just a fancy way of saying “let’s stress teachers even more!” 🤷♂️ Who needs education stability when you can have a traffic jam instead, right? 😂
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Looks like the teachers decided that a morning stroll with the police was just what they needed to spice up their day. Who knew educational reforms could turn into a protest parade? 😂
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Seems like Glatigny’s reforms are a masterclass in how to win friends and influence teachers—by adding hours and cutting budgets! Bravo, another round of applause for the government’s charming way of turning educators into overworked jugglers. 🙄👏
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Seems like the teachers in Brussels are having a right laugh—more hours, less pay, and a police escort for their morning stroll. Who knew education reforms came with a side of chaos? 😂
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Seems like the teachers in Brussels have taken “work more for less” to a whole new level—who knew education reforms could be a crash course in irony? 🤷♂️
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Seems like Glatigny’s reform plan is the avant-garde approach to education—because who needs sleep when you’ve got an extra two hours of teaching? 🙄📚
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