Education: Teacher shortage news in Portugal

Education Minister Fernando Alexandre announced the placement of 1,700 teachers via the latest recruitment reserve, helping to mitigate staffing shortages just as the school year begins. Despite this progress, the government acknowledges that some schools, particularly in two specific regions, still face challenges in ensuring all classrooms have assigned teachers.

The latest PISA results show a significant decline in Mathematics, Science, and Reading scores among Portuguese students, effectively reversing gains made since 2015 and returning to 2006 performance levels. Former Education Ministers Nuno Crato and João Costa have offered differing perspectives on the causes, with Crato pointing to educational policy and Costa citing global trends. Data also highlights a persistent disparity in educational outcomes between regions, with students in the North generally outperforming those in Lisbon, Setúbal, and the Algarve.

Minister of Education, Science and Innovation Fernando Alexandre acknowledged that Portugal will face a structural shortage of teachers for several years. The statement follows reports from the National Federation of Teachers (Federação Nacional dos Professores or Fenprof) that over 2,600 teaching vacancies remain unfilled just days before the school year begins.

With the school year nearing its end, the government still lacks reliable data on the number of students missing teachers for specific subjects. Following an audit by KPMG that identified flaws in ministry data systems, the government stopped publishing figures, raising concerns about transparency under Minister Fernando Alexandre.

The school year began March with about 250 fewer active teachers as a wave of retirements worsens staffing gaps, hitting areas previously less affected such as the north. School directors report classes and final‑year groups running without permanent teachers, raising concerns about continuity of lessons and exam preparation. Local education authorities will need rapid redeployment or substitute measures; parents and students should check with schools about temporary arrangements. Families with school‑age children should monitor notices from their local school or municipality.