Education: Government policy news in Portugal

The Liberal Initiative (IL) has requested an urgent parliamentary hearing with Minister of Education Fernando Alexandre regarding the delay in publishing 2025 school rankings. The party is also seeking explanations for the delay in releasing results for the ModA exams from the previous school year.

Minister of Education Fernando Alexandre reported that only 54 students were awaiting school placement as of Monday. He assured that the government is processing new requests and resolving placement issues within 24 hours, despite ongoing concerns about teacher shortages and overcrowded classrooms in regions like Lisbon and the Algarve.

Update: Teacher shortages and sick leave impact school year start

Education Minister Fernando Alexandre reported that approximately 6,000 teachers have taken medical leave since the start of the school year, leaving 2,000 positions unfilled. While the government attributes remaining student placement issues to late enrolments, opposition parties have criticized the administration's management of the sector.

The Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) has requested an urgent parliamentary hearing for Minister of Education Fernando Alexandre regarding over a thousand students still without school placements. Socialist MP Miguel Cabrita described the situation as unprecedented, while the party continues to pressure the government over its handling of the education sector.

The Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) has decided to support a parliamentary inquiry into the digital grading process for national exams, originally proposed by the Left Bloc (Bloco de Esquerda or BE). The decision follows concerns over unclear responsibilities and technical failures during the recent exam period. With additional support from the Chega party, the inquiry is now expected to proceed in the Assembly of the Republic.

PSD, CDS-PP and the Government argue that the minister has taken responsibility, apologised and resolved the issues, making an inquiry commission unnecessary.

The Chega party has announced it will vote in favor of a Left Bloc (BE) proposal to establish a parliamentary inquiry commission into the digital grading process for national exams. Party leader André Ventura also denied allegations that the recent vandalism of a Chega office was staged, while continuing to pressure the Assembly President to allow an inquiry into Minister Luís Neves.

The Ministry of Education is considering opening new classes or increasing student capacity to address the hundreds of students currently without school placements. Opposition parties, including the Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS), the Left Bloc (Bloco de Esquerda or BE), and Livre, have demanded clarifications, with some calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the management of public schools and teacher shortages.

Update: Lisbon schools accommodate unplaced students

The Ministry of Education and school principals in Lisbon reached a solution this Monday to place hundreds of students by distributing them into existing classes. While this resolves the immediate issue in the capital, hundreds of students in other municipalities remain without a public school placement.

The Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) has launched a sharp critique of Minister of Education Fernando Alexandre, calling him a candidate for the worst minister since the 1974 revolution. The party highlighted the scandal of students being left without school placements despite mandatory education requirements. Concerns regarding the state of the education system are further compounded by recent data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (Programme for International Student Assessment or PISA), which indicates declining performance among Portuguese students.

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro admitted in Setúbal that the quality and rigor of the Portuguese education system have declined in recent years. He stated that the government is implementing corrective measures, including stricter mobile phone policies in schools and new recruitment incentives for teachers in high-pressure areas.

The National Federation of Teachers (Fenprof) and the National Federation of Education (FNE) have rejected Education Minister Fernando Alexandre's proposal to merge the first and second cycles of basic education. Unions warn that the plan, intended to start as a pilot project in the 2027/2028 school year, risks masking systemic teacher shortages rather than addressing the root causes of staffing issues.

The Council of Ministers has approved a new recruitment model for teachers, set to take effect in the 2027/2028 school year, aimed at reducing time students spend without instructors. In the interim, the Ministry of Education announced that schools will begin daily recruitment of staff starting next week to address immediate shortages.

President António José Seguro has signed a new law prohibiting the use of smartphones in schools for students up to the 9th grade. The government implemented this measure following reports from school directors that restricting mobile phone access improves socialization and reduces classroom indiscipline.

A new think tank called the Instituto Progresso has launched with the goal of developing and testing public policies through pilot experiments. The organization aims to bridge the gap between the centre and the left, counting 170 subscribers from parties including the Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS), the Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD), and the Left Bloc (Bloco de Esquerda or BE).

The Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (Ministério da Educação, Ciência e Inovação or MECI) has authorized a 2.6 million euro payment for teachers who graded national exams this year, a practice not seen since 2010. Meanwhile, Minister of Education Fernando Alexandre announced that re-evaluations for second-phase exams are postponed until September due to a request from the National Exams Jury (Júri Nacional de Exames or JNE).

New regulations for higher education scholarships will be implemented in phases during the 2026-2027 academic year. The government stated that full implementation was delayed, so current rules remain in place for most areas, with updates limited to displaced student status, accommodation support, and a new incentive grant for low-income students.

Minister of Education, Science and Innovation Fernando Alexandre will appear before the Parliament's Standing Committee this Monday to discuss recent problems with national secondary school exams. Although his attendance was not mandatory, the minister confirmed he will answer questions from deputies regarding the ongoing situation.

Update: Government reveals costs for exam failure control

The Institute for Education, Quality and Assessment (Instituto de Educação, Qualidade e Avaliação or Eduqa) has confirmed it hired the consultancy firm Deloitte for over 406,000 euros to address failures in the digital grading system. The contract, signed via direct adjustment (ajuste direto), covers technical support for the second phase of national exams through August 31.

Minister of Education Fernando Alexandre confirmed that the start of the secondary school year is postponed by one week to September 21. The delay follows significant grading backlogs caused by technical failures in the digital exam correction process. The Ministry is currently evaluating whether a similar postponement is necessary for students in the 3rd cycle of basic education.

Minister of Education, Science and Innovation Fernando Alexandre has signed an order to compensate teachers for the increased workload associated with the new digital grading system for national secondary school exams. Educators will receive one euro for each classified response and 12 euros for each re-evaluated exam paper, with additional rates for physical exams and complaint processing. This compensation applies to all exam phases, including the extraordinary period.

Update: Inefficiencies in teacher exam grading system exposed

Recent data reveals that 111 teachers summoned for exam grading were either on holiday or sick leave, prompting Minister Fernando Alexandre to label the current selection model as extremely inefficient and in need of reform.

A new monitoring system called 'Pré-PCS' has been implemented to address recurring technical failures in the digital grading of national secondary school exams. Developed with support from the consultancy firm Deloitte and the Institute for Education, Quality and Assessment (Instituto de Educação, Qualidade e Avaliação or Eduqa), the system aims to ensure accuracy and prevent the data errors that impacted students in the first phase of examinations.

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.

The Federation of National Teachers' Unions (Federação Nacional dos Professores or Fenprof) has called for the resignation of the Minister of Education, Fernando Alexandre. Secretary-general José Feliciano Costa accused the minister of creating a climate of suspicion toward teachers following the recent national exam grading failures.

Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) Secretary-General José Luís Carneiro has called for an urgent meeting between the government and the Council of Rectors to address the current instability in the education sector. Carneiro suggested extending the application deadline for higher education and potentially delaying the second phase of national exams by one or two days to ensure student security. This follows widespread disruption caused by errors in the national exam grading process.

During the annual State of the Nation debate in Parliament, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro rejected claims of chaos regarding the digital grading of national exams. While acknowledging problems, he stated that 99.5% of exams have been graded and defended the transparency of the process. Opposition parties continue to demand accountability, citing concerns over potential delays in releasing final grades.

Update: Montenegro defends education minister amid exam grading delays

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro continues to express full confidence in Minister of Education Fernando Alexandre despite growing calls from opposition parties for the minister's resignation. While the government maintains that the grading process is not in chaos, officials acknowledge that 0.7% of exams remained ungraded as of Thursday, leading to continued uncertainty for thousands of students awaiting their results.

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro faces the annual State of the Nation debate in Parliament today, with the government under pressure regarding the digital grading system for national exams. The session, which follows a request for an urgent debate by the Portuguese Communist Party (Partido Comunista Português or PCP), comes as secondary school grades are set to be released.

The government has revised its proposal for higher education access, removing the previously planned minimum requirements for numeracy and English proficiency. This change follows significant debate over the initial proposal presented in March, which aimed to set new aptitude standards for various academic levels. Students and educators remain concerned about how ongoing changes to grade calculation formulas may impact access to higher education.

Salomé Augusto Branco, the vice-president of the Agency for the Management of the Educational System (Agência para a Gestão do Sistema Educativo or AGSE), has resigned from her position. Her departure comes as the government faces intense criticism over the digital grading of secondary school exams, with teacher unions and opposition parties calling for urgent debates and criticizing the current evaluation system.

Teachers have been called at the last minute to grade national exams, with many receiving assignments just three days before the final deadline. The Missão Escola Pública movement reported that teachers were summoned via an electronic platform on Saturday, raising concerns about the feasibility of completing the process on time. The Minister of Education, Fernando Alexandre, is expected to address these grading issues during the upcoming State of the Nation debate.

The National Federation of Teachers (Federação Nacional dos Professores or Fenprof) announced plans to file a complaint with the Attorney General's Office (Procuradoria-Geral da República or PGR) regarding the electronic grading process for national exams. The union seeks an official inquiry into potential irregularities, while the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (Ministério da Educação, Ciência e Inovação or MECI) faces continued criticism from opposition parties over the management of the assessment period.

Update: PS leader demands answers on national exam grading

Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) Secretary-General José Luís Carneiro has urged Prime Minister Luís Montenegro to explain the failures in the exam grading process. Carneiro demanded that the government clarify how it intends to restore public confidence in the assessment of over 300,000 students.

The Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) has demanded urgent clarification from the Minister of Education regarding allegations that national exams with incomplete answers were graded. School principals have also expressed concern over the lack of operational details regarding the exam process, warning that such practices could undermine trust in higher education access.

Education Minister Fernando Alexandre faces mounting criticism following severe disruptions to national secondary school exams, including missing papers and technical failures. Critics argue that recent structural reforms and the outsourcing of critical services have created a crisis, with some observers comparing the situation to ongoing challenges in the health sector.

Update: PCP rejects education minister's proposed hearing date

The Portuguese Communist Party (Partido Comunista Português or PCP) has rejected a proposal by Fernando Alexandre to be heard in Parliament on July 21 regarding exam grading issues. Secretary-General Paulo Raimundo described the proposed date as “completely inconceivable.”

The Communist Party (Partido Comunista Português or PCP) has threatened to schedule an urgent parliamentary debate if Minister of Education, Science and Innovation Fernando Alexandre does not provide a date for a mandatory hearing. The party is demanding political accountability for the technical failures that have disrupted the national exam grading process.

Update: Education Minister reports progress despite grading chaos

Minister of Education, Science and Innovation Fernando Alexandre stated that 65% of national exams are now graded, maintaining that results will be released on July 17. Despite the progress, the ministry faces criticism from teachers and schools regarding the digital platform failures, with some private software providers rejecting responsibility for the ongoing delays.

Minister of Education, Science and Innovation Fernando Alexandre has admitted that the new electronic grading system for national exams faced significant technical obstacles. While he guarantees that all papers will be graded by July 17, he acknowledged that 20% of responses remain unprocessed and promised that the state will compensate families who can prove financial losses due to the delays.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (Ministério da Educação, Ciência e Inovação or MECI) has postponed the release of national exam results and the start of the second phase following widespread technical failures. The transition to a fully digital grading system for over 300,000 exams led to missing response sheets and platform accessibility issues for teachers. Unions and educators have criticized the implementation, citing logistical chaos and concerns over the integrity of the assessment process.

Update: Exam grading platform faces further downtime

Teachers have been notified that the digital grading platform will be unavailable again this Wednesday for maintenance. This follows previous outages earlier in the week, leading to continued criticism from the Missão Escola Pública movement regarding the government's ability to manage the assessment process.

The Left Bloc (Bloco de Esquerda or BE) and the Portuguese Communist Party (Partido Comunista Português or PCP) are calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the digital grading system used for national exams. Lawmakers cite widespread technical failures, including missing papers and illegible scans, which have delayed results and caused significant disruption for students.

Socialist Party (PS) leader José Luís Carneiro has demanded that Prime Minister Luís Montenegro apologize for the handling of national exams. Carneiro described the recent scheduling changes and technical failures as an absolutely serious situation that has caused chaos for families and students applying to higher education.

Minister of Education Fernando Alexandre has guaranteed that national exam grading remains on schedule despite reports of technical failures and errors. While the National Association of Directors of Groups and Public Schools (Associação Nacional de Diretores de Agrupamentos e Escolas Públicas or ANDAEP) has rejected responsibility for the issues, the government maintains that no student will be disadvantaged by the new digital classification process.

The Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) has requested that the Minister of Education appear before the Assembly of the Republic to address recent failures in the digital grading system. The party also seeks clarification regarding an internal report drafted by the education quality agency EduQA without the knowledge of its advisors.

Update: Digital exam grading enters recovery phase

The National Exams Jury (Júri Nacional de Exames or JNE) announced that the distribution of exam responses to teachers will begin gradually on Monday. Officials stated the process is now in a recovery phase following technical difficulties with the new digital evaluation platform.

The teachers' union Fenprof has accused the government of incentivizing the child storage of children by providing supplementary funding to nurseries that operate for more than 11 hours. The union argues that the state should instead focus on providing conditions that allow families to better balance their professional and personal lives.

The Lisbon City Council has approved the elimination of a 50% discount on school meals for students not covered by the School Social Action (Ação Social Escolar or ASE) program. While the measure ends the discount for most students, the council also approved a proposal to maintain meal subsidies for disadvantaged families during school holidays.

Minister of Education Fernando Alexandre announced that the number of school schedules without assigned teachers has fallen from 1,208 in January to 448 in March. The minister attributed this improvement to new placements and the correction of administrative errors that previously inflated the data. However, teaching unions continue to dispute these figures, claiming the actual shortage remains more significant than official reports suggest.

Education Minister Fernando Alexandre proposed a new legal framework (Regime Jurídico dos Graus e Diplomas) for university admission. Candidates would need to meet minimum levels in English, literacy, and numeracy to enter bachelor's or master's programs. Families with students should note that while the government aims to raise standards, student groups warn these requirements could exclude some applicants.

Fenprof, the national teachers' union, refused to continue negotiations with the Government over the teaching career statute after the ministry barred the union Stop from the meeting because it was protesting outside the Ministry of Education. Fenprof said it could not accept what it called an undermining of the right to protest; the Secretary of State for Education said the Government will not negotiate “under pressure.” Teachers and school staff should watch how the standoff affects progress on the career statute and any planned strike or industrial-action dates.

In the document released by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI) and sent to the unions for the negotiation meeting on Wednesday, the Government presents its proposal to revise the Teaching Career Statute.