Latest news and stories about education quality in government in Lisboa, Portugal for expats and residents.
The proposed 2027 State Budget ends a seven-year freeze on public undergraduate tuition fees by indexing them to inflation, prompting student associations in Lisbon to schedule protests against the rising costs of higher education.
Portuguese schools received 380 enrolment requests in the past week, with 73% coming from foreign nationals, according to Minister of Education Fernando Alexandre. Despite ongoing pressure, Alexandre defended the education system's dynamism and highlighted that autonomy given to school directors is facilitating placements, while a new teacher allocation model continues to address vacancies.
Over 300 primary school students in Marvila are currently without teachers, leading to school closures and the redistribution of pupils across different year groups as authorities explore emergency staffing solutions.
The Ministry of Education has successfully resolved the placement of 295 students in Sintra who were previously without school spots, following a process of identifying vacancies and distributing pupils across local school clusters.
A Pordata report reveals that secondary education completion rates are lower in Lisbon, Setúbal, and the Algarve, despite an overall increase in student enrollment and higher education participation across Portugal.
Pressure is mounting on Portugal's education minister following a significant failure in the national exam marking process, sparking widespread public criticism and calls for resignation.
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.
Suspension of proceedings must still be voted on in the plenary session on Wednesday.
The government intends to allow graduates in Basic Education to teach primary school before completing their master's degree or professional training to address the teacher shortage, according to union representatives. Minister of Education, Science and Innovation Fernando Alexandre presented a legislative proposal to unions on Tuesday to allow these graduates into the classroom to help students currently without teachers, particularly in the Lisbon region. While unions expressed reservations, they acknowledged the move as a necessary measure given the lack of alternatives. The Ministry stated this is a temporary solution and committed to providing pedagogical training to these professionals to ensure they achieve full professional qualification.
The family cheque will begin to be awarded this academic year to secondary and vocational education students. In the coming years, it will be extended to the remaining cycles, according to the approved proposal.
The Government wants to allow Basic Education graduates to teach primary school before completing a master's degree or in-service professional training, in order to resolve the issue of students without teachers, unions revealed.
Students are protesting against teaching conditions, the cost of living, and the housing crisis
The fevered melting pot of the last couple of weeks has extended now to students, who closed schools today in Lisbon calling for “better conditions in education”, and quite a The post “They’re destroying our future”: students close schools in Lisbon appeared first on Portugal Resident.
Several students are blocking the entrance to the António Arroio Artistic School this morning in Lisbon. They assured CNN Portugal reporter Daniela Rodrigues that “now it is their turn” to block educational institutions in an attempt to make themselves heard by the Government. “They are not guaranteeing our future,” stated one of the protesters. The Camões Secondary School also did not open its doors due to the protests.
Hundreds of students are blocking two secondary schools in Lisbon this Friday morning, October 23, to demand better education, while protesting against the rising cost of living and the housing crisis, which they say is “destroying their future.” The protest, under the slogan “We occupied the streets to demand housing, we will occupy schools to demand education,” mobilized students from the António Arroio Artistic School and the Liceu Camões. Students criticized Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, accusing him of ignoring the country's situation. The movement, led by groups such as Chumbado.PT and Students for the End of Fossil Fuels, intends to extend these blockages to more schools across the country throughout the week, while also mobilizing for the housing demonstration scheduled for Saturday in Lisbon.
Dozens of students gathered outside the Liceu Camões in Lisbon and locked the gates with chains this Friday.
“We are students and we want a future, but governments are condemning our generation,” stated one of the movement's spokespersons, who was inspired by the student protests in France.
There are still six thousand primary school students without a teacher, according to Fenprof. Schools continue to merge classes and redistribute resources. In Marvila, classes without assigned teachers are being taught by secondary school educators.
Higher education students took to the streets in Lisbon this Wednesday against the Government's intention to unfreeze tuition fees starting in the next academic year. CNN Portugal reporter Isabel Semedo is at the scene.
Students gathered at the government headquarters chanted slogans against the unfreezing of tuition fees and what they consider to be a disinvestment in higher education. There is a new protest scheduled for the 18th.
The freezing of tuition fees was approved in 2016, at the time proposed by the PCP within the scope of the 2017 State Budget.
In Lisbon, three hundred students are protesting in front of the government headquarters against the increase in tuition fees and other expenses for students living away from home. The Secretary-General of the PCP, along with members of Livre and the Left Bloc, joined the demonstration.
The protest was called by student associations from several higher education institutions in the Portuguese capital.
The protest was called by student associations from several higher education institutions in the Portuguese capital.
More than a hundred higher education students gathered in Lisbon on Wednesday, October 21, to protest the government's intention to unfreeze tuition fees, which have remained unchanged since 2020. Protesters, assembled since 5:00 PM in front of Culturgest near the government headquarters, chanted slogans demanding the abolition rather than an increase of fees. The protest was organised by student associations against a proposal to update maximum tuition fees in line with inflation starting in the 2027/2028 academic year. Students displayed signs criticising the government and Prime Minister Luís Montenegro. Additionally, Seguro has stated he is, in principle, against unfreezing the fees.
A protest is scheduled for 5:00 PM in front of the government headquarters at Campus XXI. Students are contesting the intention to unfreeze tuition fees, which have not changed since 2020.
Higher education students in Lisbon appealed today for the intervention of the President of the Republic regarding a new decree on degrees and diplomas, fearing it will exclude students from higher education and create a 'class barrier'.
The school year started a month ago and 65,000 students are without a teacher for at least one subject. More than 900 teaching schedules remain unfilled, 40% of which are in Lisbon.
