Students and teachers gathered outside the Ministry of Education in Lisbon this Friday to protest technical failures in the digital grading of national exams. Protesters, including members of the 'Voz aos Estudantes' movement, demanded the resignation of Minister of Education Fernando Alexandre, while the National Federation of Education (Federação Nacional da Educação or FNE) called for an independent audit of the entire process.
Students protest exam failures and demand minister's resignation
Friday, 24 July 2026AI summary
Context & Explainers
Fernando Alexandre is the Minister of Education, Science, and Innovation in Portugal's current government, which took office in April 2024. An economist by training, he previously served as a Secretary of State and is now responsible for managing the national school system and university funding. He recently sparked debate by suggesting that university tuition fees should be adjusted to account for inflation.
FNE is the National Federation of Education (Federação Nacional da Educação), a major Portuguese teachers' union that represents school staff and negotiates with education authorities. It has asked for an urgent meeting to review rules for Portuguese education abroad, so teachers and families connected to overseas Portuguese schools should follow its actions.
7 sources
- Exams. FNE says Fernando Alexandre should not be the only one to take responsibilityrtp.pt ·
- Students and teachers call for the minister's resignation during a protest in Lisboneco.sapo.pt ·
- “Minister failed”: students protest in Lisbon and demand the resignation of Fernando Alexandreexpresso.pt ·
- Student movement protests "chaos" in exam gradingdn.pt ·
- Students demand the resignation of the Minister of Education and complain about not being heardpublico.pt ·
- MEP 'does not bode well' for the second phaseobservador.pt ·
- Students say there is a "lack of respect" from the Government for their effortcmjornal.pt ·
