Latest news and stories about education quality in government in Portugal for expats and residents.
The Banco de Portugal and other entities propose strengthening financial literacy in teacher training by integrating these contents into master's degrees in education.
The agreement to facilitate the recognition of Brazilian primary and secondary school diplomas in Portugal is moving forward, nearly three years after being signed in Lisbon. On the Brazilian side, the matter is under review in Congress, while the Portuguese Council of Ministers approved the measure last week. As with the mutual recognition of driving licences, both countries must ratify the agreement for it to take effect, meaning there is no estimated date for implementation. Once in force, the agreement will not create obligations regarding professional market access, as stated in Article 2. The main change is the creation of a comparison table for the two countries' different education systems, establishing equivalence between Brazilian 'ensino médio' and Portuguese 'ensino secundário'. Additionally, a Bilateral Technical Commission will be formed to propose further actions and create a glossary of technical terms.
A fair system ensures that no student is left out of university due to a lack of resources. But this is achieved through moderate tuition fees, robust scholarships, and funding mechanisms.
Parents of students at Salesianos de Manique, in Cascais, are complaining about the meals in the canteen, claiming there is food for the poor and food for the rich.
Citing public complaints regarding differentiated meals at the Salesianos school in Manique, Cascais, and the “stigma” reported by students under the public scheme, the Livre party has submitted a resolution to Parliament. They are calling for the Inspectorate-General of Education and Science to inspect all schools with association contracts to ensure all students receive nutritionally adequate meals, and are proposing the hiring of nutritionists for school clusters. Livre notes that the state pays 1.46 euros per meal, a rate unchanged for a decade, which party leader Paulo Muacho calls “incomprehensible.” The proposal seeks to update public funding to prevent discriminatory treatment based on a student's enrollment status. Education Minister Fernando Alexandre suggested that the core issue may be the coexistence of private and state-funded regimes within the same school.
Equality in education is not built only in curricula or official speeches. It is also built at the canteen table. Opinion by Paulo Marinho.
The minister argues that the association contract scheme works, but acknowledges the need to evaluate whether this model should coexist with the private scheme within the same school.
Education Minister Fernando Alexandre announced that a major restructuring has reduced the ministry's staff by 50% and will save €50 million annually. The reform consolidated 18 entities into seven, focusing on the digitalization of human resources and administrative services. Parents and students should note that these changes aim to improve the efficiency of the National Education System.
Minister Fernando Alexandre says the measure allowed for a reduction from 18 to seven entities and savings of 50 million euros per year.
At the school in question, Salesianos de Manique in Cascais, there are 770 students in the private system who pay tuition fees, and 797 who attend the school free of charge.
Six weeks after Storm Kristin, students in Vieira de Leiria continue to face significant educational disruptions, with classes held in makeshift locations including containers and a former mortuary chapel due to ongoing infrastructure repairs.
Sofia Neves analyzes the controversy surrounding digital influencers visiting schools, highlighting systemic failures in school management and the urgent need for impartial investigation into child safety.
The Government is forming a working group to create guidelines for schools to prohibit activities that contradict educational values, following incidents where 79 public schools hosted digital influencers promoting sexual and misogynistic content. This initiative, outlined by the Ministry of Education and Citizenship (MECI), aims to enhance control over external activities in schools and ensure they align with the mission of promoting democratic citizenship, equity, and inclusion. The group will analyze the legal framework regarding external entities in schools and provide clarity on acceptable activities, with a final report due by March 31.
Fenprof has refused to engage in discussions with the Government regarding the teaching career statute, following the exclusion of another union, Stop, from negotiations due to a protest outside the Ministry of Education. Fenprof criticized the government's actions as undermining the right to protest and stated that they would not accept negotiations conducted under such conditions. The union left the meeting shortly after it began, without addressing any agenda items, in protest of the Secretary of State's stance on the matter.
The Government's proposal to revise the Teaching Career Statute, which will be discussed with unions, centralizes the hiring of teachers and introduces a one-year trial period based on performance evaluation, shortening the regime for teaching without legal qualifications.
Portugal aspires to be a leader in innovation and technology, focusing on integrating AI in education and attracting foreign investment. However, the reality of its public services is starkly contrasting, with inefficiencies so severe that even basic tasks like paying taxes require prior appointments, highlighting a systemic failure that undermines its ambitions.
The Government approved a decree‑law on Thursday, announced by António Leitão Amaro, allowing higher education institutions to require only one entrance exam. The change reverses a Socialist government decision that had forced students to sit at least two admission tests and restores the system that was in force until 2024. The move increases institutional autonomy over selection criteria and could affect comparability of admissions outcomes across institutions; it is presented as a regulatory rollback rather than an expansion of student protections. (A separate note in the original text observes a concern that the Peace Council could become similar to the UN Security Council.)
Private schools are proposing greater autonomy to hire teachers from a wider range of academic backgrounds — for example, allowing a psychologist to teach primary (first cycle) classes or a political science graduate to teach history. The proposal will be presented to Parliament on Wednesday. Proponents argue this flexibility could address staffing needs and broaden candidate pools; critics may raise concerns about subject-specific pedagogical qualifications and the need for training and regulatory safeguards to maintain teaching quality.
The Minister of Education told Parliament that a planned review of curricula and the organisation of the first and second cycles of basic education will be implemented in the 2027/28 school year. Key changes will include revised timetabled hours and closer integration of the 1st and 2nd cycles, with the government aiming to align curriculum content, assessment and pathways to qualifications. The announcement signals a significant policy reform requiring adjustments by schools, teachers and qualification bodies ahead of the 2027 rollout.
The PSP has launched a month‑long school operation, 'Violence? No, thank you!', delivering awareness activities for the whole school community on school-based violence, weapons possession/use and juvenile delinquency. Targeting pupils in the 3rd cycle of basic education and secondary schools, the campaign combines prevention and legal deterrence by warning minors that violent acts can carry criminal consequences. The initiative aims to reduce incidents, improve reporting and engage schools, families and staff in safeguarding measures.
A sustained survey by civic movement Missão Escola Pública of heads of school groupings and standalone schools reveals systemic staffing problems across Portugal: around one-third of schools were short of teachers throughout the first term, 77% reported using staff without pedagogical training, and shortages have spread into the Central and Northern regions. The findings point to degraded educational quality, ad hoc coping measures and unfilled posts, raising urgent questions about recruitment, retention and policy responses to secure qualified teachers and protect learning standards.
Portugal’s Judicial Police (PJ) has launched a first-of-its-kind campaign to tackle online radicalisation among young people, aiming to alert schools and families to warning signs, raise awareness, prevent recruitment and disrupt extremist influence across digital platforms. The initiative is framed as a preventive, educational and investigative effort combining outreach to educators and parents with targeted policing online. Separately, The Guardian reports heightened international tensions as former US President Trump is reported to be considering military options against Iran following a violent crackdown, underscoring how domestic efforts to shield youth from radicalisation sit alongside broader geopolitical risks.
The government will introduce compulsory Physical Education for 1st‑cycle pupils in public schools from the next school year, affecting around 330,000 children. The Budget Law commits to hiring the teachers needed to deliver the measure but does not specify how much will be invested or the number of weekly hours to be allocated. The lack of detail raises implementation questions — recruitment timelines, teacher training, regional distribution, and fiscal impact — and creates uncertainty about curriculum time and equity of provision across schools.
