March begins with 250 fewer teachers in schools
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.
Portugal is seeing a rise in teacher retirements and localised shortages that are starting to affect regions that were previously less impacted, creating staffing problems for regular school functioning. Compared with the EU, Portugal's shortages tend to be regional and subject-specific (often in STEM and certain secondary grades), while countries like Spain and the UK face similar problems at a larger or more widespread scale; parents and local education staff should watch regional recruitment and temporary staffing measures.
