Rome - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government won Wednesday final parliamentary approval for controversial education reforms, against which thousands of students are staging protests around the country.

The Italian Senate, the upper house of parliament, approved the decree by 162 votes for to 134 against with three abstentions.

News of the decree's approval was greeted with jeers of "Clowns! Clowns!," by students staging a sit-in outside the Senate's Palazzo Madama building in central Rome.

Protests are expected to culminate in a strike Thursday called by Italy's main labour unions.

The stoppage, which is supported by the centre-left opposition, threatens to paralyze the country's education sector with teaching and administrative staff set to stay away from work.

Devised by Education Minister Mariastella Gelmini, the education reforms include severe budget cuts and introduce new disciplinary measures for primary and secondary school pupils.

In particular the planned re-introduction of having only one teacher per primary school class, has raised concerns that tens of thousands of teachers may lose their jobs.

Many parents fear a drop in education standards because they believe a single teacher will not be able to adequately cover subjects as diverse as languages and arithmetic.

Also, time spent at school would be slashed from 29 to 31 hours a week currently, to 24. This, critics say, places a further burden on working parents as they will have to arrange supervision for their children during longer hours spent outside school.

Gelmini, has repeatedly refused to back down in her stand-off with parents and students opposed to the reforms. The minister says they are necessary to "rationalize public spending and improve the quality of education."

Among the disciplinary measures contained in the decree are plans to introduce conduct marks and uniforms for primary school children

The protests which began late last week at schools, spilled over to the country's public universities which are facing budget cuts including the proposed scrapping of scores of courses and in some cases the closure of faculties.

The students have been joined by professors and lecturers who in a sign of protest against the government proposals have started delivering lectures in streets and squares, including outside tourists landmarks such as the Coliseum in Rome or Saint Mark's Square in Venice. (dpa)