Latest news and stories about education quality in Lisboa, Portugal for expats and residents.
The new rector of Iscte, Helena Carreiras, warns that new degree and diploma legislation must be carefully implemented to prevent increased inequality in university access, emphasizing the need for institutions to support student skill development from the start.
The Portuguese government, UGT, and four business confederations are meeting to negotiate a decisive agreement on new labour law reforms.
The Education Inspectorate has launched an inquiry into two institutions providing support for students outside the traditional school system, including the Clonlara Portugal association which is currently seeking authorisation for a new campus.
The election for the rector of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa (NOVA), scheduled for Thursday morning, April 30, did not take place due to a lack of quorum in the General Council. This is the second time the election has been cancelled despite a court order to repeat the process. The university maintains it has complied with all legal requirements and that the current rector, Paulo Pereira, remains in office. The election process has been stalled since last year following a legal challenge by candidate Pedro Maló regarding eligibility criteria. The court has since declined to rule on the legality of the election due to a procedural failure.
The general council has once again failed to choose the new rector of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa. A repeat of the election, ordered by the court, was scheduled for this Thursday, April 30, but the event did not take place due to a lack of quorum in the general council. This is the second time the election has failed to occur.
The main highlight of this week's DV is: Two-thirds of the major measures in the new RRP were already planned in the State Budget. The main photo focuses on a new business that is thriving: German company FRS sails towards revenues exceeding two million with corporate cruises on the Tagus. Also highlighted is an interview with Boris Walbaum, founder of the disruptive Forward College: 'The world is moving faster than universities, and the gap is widening.' Read these and other topics from this week's Dinheiro Vivo in the full supplement, which you can download here. See the front page in detail.
The registration deadline for the 'Friends of Brazil' competition has been extended to 8 May following requests from schools in Portugal. The initiative, promoted by the Consulate-General of Brazil in Lisbon in partnership with the Guimarães Rosa Institute and the Brazilian Embassy, is open to students from the 5th to 12th grade living in the country. The competition encourages reflection on the friendship between Brazil and Portugal, as well as themes of interculturality and integration. Groups of two to five students, including at least two different nationalities, can submit entries in categories such as handwritten essays, videos, or drawings and paintings. Prizes can reach €500 per group, and teachers from schools with high participation rates are eligible to win a trip to Brazil.
The consulate has pushed back the deadline for entries to the Amigos e Amigas do Brasil competition to 8 May.
Meetings are scheduled throughout the morning and early afternoon this Monday at the Ministry of Education.
In the lead-up to the approval of Lisbon's new Educational Charter, concerns have been raised by parents at the Rainha Santa Isabel School regarding abrupt changes to school pathways. The author discusses the complexities of the reorganization, noting that while the Charter is a necessary structural advancement for the city, the transition process for students moving between schools—such as from Josefa de Óbidos to Manuel da Maia—requires better communication and planning. The author highlights a proposed transition period to allow current students to complete their cycle, emphasizing that successful public policy must balance long-term planning with the needs of the community.
The Lisbon Administrative Court did not rule on the legality of the decision to reschedule the NOVA University rector election for 24 April 2026. In a ruling today, the judge concluded that the lawsuit filed by four professors had a decisive procedural flaw: the rector candidates, who would be directly affected by an annulment, were not identified or summoned as interested parties. Consequently, the court dismissed the case without addressing the merits, leaving the core dispute regarding the legitimacy of the General Council to oversee the election unresolved.
Due to a lack of quorum in the university's General Council, the election of the new rector of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa has been postponed. The next step may involve holding elections for the Council first.
Parents accuse the Famões Parish Community Centre in Odivelas of illegal actions and discriminating against a child with a disability. The non-profit organisation claims the boy's aggressive behaviour compromises the rights of other children.
The election process for the new rector of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa has not yet concluded. The repeat election was scheduled for this Friday, April 24, but the event did not take place as the necessary quorum was not met in the general council, the university reports. Three of the candidates have already...
The process has been surrounded by several legal disputes. The elections, scheduled for this Friday, did not take place because the necessary members of the General Council were not present.
Parents accuse the Famões Parish Community Centre in Odivelas of illegal actions and discriminating against a child with a disability. The non-profit organisation claims the boy's aggressive behaviour compromises the rights of other children. The Portuguese Autism Federation receives daily requests for help from parents of children excluded from the school system.
The submission of a reasoned resolution suspends the elected officials from the injunction. Only the current rector will enter the selection process.
Three candidates for the position of rector at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa have declared they will not participate in the election scheduled for this Friday, after the Lisbon Administrative Court accepted an injunction suspending the electoral process. The university, on its website, maintains that the election will proceed as planned. Elvira Fortunato, João...
The new Educational Charter for Lisbon is now officially in effect. Despite criticism regarding school grouping changes, the Municipal Assembly approved the document with support from the governing coalition (PSD, CDS, IL) and Chega. The Left Bloc voted against it, while other parties abstained. A key point of contention was the transfer of Rainha Santa Isabel Primary School to a different grouping, which parents opposed. The changes, affecting teacher recruitment and student paths, will take effect in the 2027/28 school year. The charter outlines a long-term plan for structural renovations in 49 schools and the construction of 27 new ones, with an investment of over 1 billion euros. The city is now seeking external funding, including potential PRR resources, to address urgent school infrastructure needs.
The Ministry of Education will invest the approximately 5.3 million euros paid by the Open University for the sale of the former headquarters located on Avenida 5 de Outubro into the construction of student residences, the minister said this Tuesday. Speaking to the parliamentary committee on Education and Science, Fernando Alexandre responded to opposition criticism regarding the sale.
Universidade NOVA de Lisboa is preparing to repeat its rector election on April 24th following a court ruling that invalidated the previous process. The university is currently embroiled in a dispute over whether the outgoing General Council has the legal authority to oversee the new vote or if it should wait for the newly elected council. While the current rector, Paulo Pereira, maintains that the process is legally sound and necessary to comply with the court's decision, a group of professors led by António Nogueira Leite has filed a legal challenge, seeking to suspend the election until the legitimacy of the governing body is clarified.
Fenprof fears that the new teaching career statute will bring changes to the employment relationship with the State and that there may be room to eliminate jobs.
The former President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, defended this Monday in Mafra the importance of José Saramago's work and a more flexible approach to reading literary works in schools.
The announcement was made during a visit to the José Saramago secondary school in Mafra. Additionally, Fernando Alexandre considers it normal that the number of higher education placements has decreased to pre-pandemic levels.
The government is negotiating teachers' career paths while FENPROF protests outside the Ministry of Education. Additionally, the Minister of Infrastructure states that the green pass is a unique success story for CP.
Former President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, inaugurates his 'Library Cycle' this Monday, April 20, at the José Saramago Secondary School in Mafra. This proximity initiative aims to debate reading habits with young Portuguese people as part of his new phase of civic intervention following his departure from Belém. The event, themed 'Is reading in fashion?', will feature a session with 12th-grade students, members of the Reading Club, and finalists of the local Reading Contest. This visit follows his first school tour in Águeda, reinforcing his post-presidential focus on Education and Culture. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has pledged not to comment on current national politics during these sessions, focusing instead on pedagogical challenges and direct engagement with the younger generation.
The former President inaugurates the 'Library Cycle', an initiative where students ask questions and the former President answers during conversations held in school libraries.
