Latest news and stories about school safety in Portugal for expats and residents.
It is the first day back at school. The GNR is once again implementing the Safe School programme. Reporting from Castro Daire.
A new platform called Fortsy, created by Brazilian cybersecurity professionals Beatriz Freire and Victória Comerlato, has launched in Portugal to combat school bullying through student and teacher apps focused on support and prevention rather than surveillance. The system allows for anonymous reporting, emotional tracking, and data-driven insights for school management, aiming to address issues like xenophobia and student safety.
Teenagers who are victims of nudes created by classmates using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and shared on social media are changing schools to escape bullying, the Portuguese Association for Victim Support (APAV) lamented.
Images of students made to look naked using artificial intelligence are being used for bullying. In many cases, parents are moving their children to different schools.
Second part of 'Investigação CM' this Tuesday, July 21, 2026.
Next November, Portuguese education will be highlighted at Columbia University in the United States. The institution will showcase educational projects from around the world that apply methodologies developed by Brazilian educator Paulo Freire. One of the featured works is the 'Good Educational Practices Guide for Operational Assistants in Portugal,' a product of the CHOICE for Schools project, developed by the Diásporas Association at the Alapraia School Group in Cascais. The guide, co-authored by 50 operational assistants, focuses on child rights, safety, and well-being, addressing the often-overlooked role of school support staff in fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment.
The extracurricular activity in question will undergo changes.
A report indicates that 25% of students in Portugal have experienced bullying.
The aggressor is a student at the same educational institution.
The assaults reportedly began with a student punching and kicking the victim's back and legs for no apparent reason.
The teachers were violently assaulted by two primary school students, according to the SPLIU. The children are eight years old and have been flagged for various behavioural issues.
Teachers were allegedly “violently assaulted by two students” from the first cycle of primary education.
“I'll bring the knives” and “we are going to kill all the staff members”. These are some of the phrases shared in a WhatsApp group that included students from a school in Oeiras. And the award that Sean Penn received.
The youths caused alarm within the school community and put the safety of students, teachers, and staff at risk.
357 pyrotechnic items were seized
In a group with dozens of seventh-grade students from the Quinta do Marquês Secondary School, violent conversations and photographs of teachers taken from Teams were shared. The school states that it informed the guardians and “partner entities,” but does not clarify whether it reported the matter to the authorities. Two sources contacted by CNN Portugal guarantee that it did not.
This behaviour is not new, and the minor has reportedly even threatened a teacher. The facts have been reported to the CPCJ and the Public Prosecutor's Office.
“We have to come anyway,” laments a student's grandmother. This is already the second case this week alone.
Right of reply from Elizabete Maria Lourenço Matos Costa regarding an article published on 1 March 2026 in the print and online editions of PÚBLICO.
“We have to come anyway,” laments a student's grandmother. This is already the second case this week alone.
This morning, there is a protest at the Vale de Milhaços Primary School in Seixal, on the south bank of the Tagus. Education professionals are demanding the removal of asbestos present in the outdoor access corridors of this educational establishment.
In an opinion signed by the Inspector-General of Education and Science, the Ministry reminds schools that the use of school spaces or facilities may only be permitted to individuals and activities that comply with and respect the law, amid concerns regarding influencers and the sexualisation of children.
“Classes have resumed, except in the room that was affected,” said a source from the sub-regional Civil Protection command. They also noted that the alert was received at 07:58, with the fire being extinguished at 08:44.
Fire broke out in the ceramic kiln of an art classroom.
The director denies that the influencer performed within the school group, but PÚBLICO identified videos that prove otherwise: Zézinho did indeed perform at the Restelo Secondary School in Lisbon.
The minor was not previously flagged by the Commission for the Protection of Children and Young People.
The head of the Alberto Sampaio School Group says that as soon as he became aware of the situation the employee was immediately suspended, leaving the full clarification of the matter to the authorities.
A staff member was filmed naked while performing a sexual act in front of some pupils. The school reported the case to the Public Prosecutor's Office via the Judicial Police.
The crimes occurred between October and November of last year.
