Yes. Here in Germany will all learn to drive manual cars - even when taking driving licenses. But now there are more and more automatic cars even here.
I believe here in Europe stick shift is the standard. I would have had to specificly ask to only be taught automatic otherwise it is assumed you will learn stick shift.
At first if you are learning by yourself and don't have people that have driven stick before it can be hard to learn. I managed to learn by myself with a 2007 Honda accord, Honda's are easily the easiest car to learn stick in.