Teachers from across Portugal protest in Lisbon against austerity cuts, education reforms

People shout slogans as they march during a protest by Portuguese teachers in Lisbon, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014. Seven teachers' trade unions organised the march Sunday to protest the government's education policies. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) (The Associated Press)

A woman holding up a sheet of paper with the face of the Portuguese Education Minister Nuno Crato, shouts slogans during a protest by Portuguese teachers in Lisbon, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014. Seven teachers' trade unions organised the march Sunday to protest the government's education policies. Sign reads in Portuguese: "justice waits for you" (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) (The Associated Press)

Several hundred Portuguese schoolteachers are staging a demonstration in Lisbon to protest the government's education policies.

Seven teachers' unions organized the march Sunday, attracting protesters from across the country.

Among the issues angering the unions are evaluation tests for seasoned teachers, a lack of investment in specialized training, cuts to school budgets and layers of additional bureaucratic responsibilities being added to teachers' workloads. The protesters are also upset over the forced closure of schools with too few students.

Portugal's center-right government has cut funds for public education and trimmed teachers' pay in recent years as part of an austerity program. The measures were among those enacted in return for Portugal's three-year, 78 billion euro ($101 billion) international bailout.