Back to School in Portugal: Over 1 Million Students Return Amid Teacher Shortages

School Year Kicks Off

This Thursday marks the first day of the school year in Portugal, with over one million students returning to classes between today and Monday. 60% of schools are opening today, while another 20% will welcome students on Friday.

In statements to the Lusa agency, the Minister of Education praised the efforts of schools and directors to ensure that classes start smoothly, with 80% of schools open in the first two days.

However, the new school year is starting with recurring issues: 1,091 teaching positions remain unfilled as reported from the second recruitment reserve earlier this week. Minister Fernando Alexandre acknowledges that this situation could worsen, especially with the need to replace teachers who may take medical leave.

Despite these challenges, the Ministry of Education maintains optimistic goals to reduce the number of students without classes in at least one subject by 90% compared to last year during the first term. The Lisbon, Alentejo, and Algarve regions are the most affected by the teacher shortages.

Last week, the government approved a new extraordinary recruitment competition aimed at schools facing the greatest shortages, set to be completed by November. Furthermore, the government plans to offer support to displaced teachers ranging from 150 to 450 euros based on distance.

In addition, schools will have the option to hire retired teachers with extra compensation, doctoral fellows, or retain teachers eligible for retirement who are willing to continue teaching. The minister acknowledges that the willingness of retired teachers to return could help alleviate the staffing crisis, emphasizing the importance of mobilizing these individuals to resolve the issue effectively.

Source: Lusa