Latest news and stories about education quality in work in Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal for expats and residents.
Three Portuguese business schools placed among the world's top 100 programmes in the 2026 Financial Times Executive MBA ranking. Iscte Executive Education reached 55th place globally, rising 26 spots to lead Portugal's business schools. The joint programme from Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics and Nova School of Business and Economics, alongside Porto Business School, also maintained places on the global list.
The government will provide overtime pay to teachers grading national exams as recognition for their extraordinary effort during the current assessment period. This measure, confirmed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (Ministério da Educação, Ciência e Inovação or MECI), follows an announcement by Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD) spokesperson Sebastião Bugalho.
The Social Democratic Party ('Partido Social Democrata' or 'PSD') is a liberal-conservative political party in Portugal that is the leading partner of the The Democratic Alliance (AD) which is the country's ruling party, with Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.
The Social Democratic Party, despite its name, occupies the centre-right of Portugal's political spectrum. Luís Montenegro, who became Prime Minister in April 2024, leads Portugal's current minority government. The PSD has been one of Portugal's two dominant parties since 1974, having formed nine governments including four with absolute majorities. Montenegro, a former party leader from 1996-1999, was elected with the highest approval rating among party leaders at 10.7 points out of 20.
The Democratic Alliance is a centre-right coalition that includes the smaller CDS – People's Party, a Christian democratic party that has historically been the PSD's coalition partner. Together, they govern without a parliamentary majority, requiring case-by-case support from opposition parties to pass legislation.
Sebastião Bugalho is a journalist and political commentator who currently serves as a member of the European Parliament for the Social Democratic Party (Partido Social Democrata or PSD). He was elected in June 2024 after leading the party's list in the European elections.
The Nova School of Business & Economics (Nova School of Business & Economics or Nova SBE) has reached the top 10 in the latest Financial Times ranking for executive education, marking its highest position to date. Portugal now has six institutions featured in the global list, with the Católica Porto Business School making its debut this year.
Nova SBE (Nova School of Business and Economics) is the business school of Universidade Nova de Lisboa, based in Carcavelos; it has a modern campus opened in 2018 and is one of Portugal’s leading business schools. Its surveys and research—like the healthcare access study cited in the news—are often used in public policy debates, so expats will see Nova SBE data quoted in media and policy discussions.
The National Federation of Teachers (Federação Nacional dos Professores or Fenprof) has announced a national demonstration for May 16 to protest the government's revision of the teaching career statute (Estatuto da Carreira Docente). The union also warned of potential strikes during the upcoming third school term if negotiations regarding working hours and job security do not improve. Parents and students should note that Fenprof will also join a general protest organized by the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (Confederação Geral dos Trabalhadores Portugueses or CGTP) in April.
Fenprof is the National Federation of Teachers (Federação Nacional dos Professores), the main public‑school teachers' union in Portugal that represents teachers in pay, working conditions and education reforms. Its criticism matters because Fenprof can organize strikes and mobilise teachers, which directly affects school operations and the implementation of government changes — something families and expat educators should monitor.
CGTP (Confederação Geral dos Trabalhadores Portugueses – Intersindical Nacional) regularly publishes studies and proposals on labor market conditions, wages, working time, and employment rights. These reports are used to support the union confederation's negotiating positions with the government and employers.
CGTP studies typically cover topics such as minimum wage adequacy, working hours reform, collective bargaining trends, social security sustainability, and the impact of proposed labor law changes on workers. The confederation uses this research to advocate for positions in tripartite social dialogue (Concertação Social) alongside the UGT union confederation and employer groups.
These publications are significant because they often shape public debate ahead of labor reforms and can influence the pace and direction of legislative changes.
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.
