Fenprof warns teacher placements fail to meet school needs

The National Federation of Teachers (Fenprof) has warned that the recent placement of over 20,000 teachers does not meet the permanent needs of schools. While 20,404 teachers were assigned schedules for the upcoming academic year, the federation noted that only 1,252 of these placements were through initial hiring. The vast majority resulted from internal mobility among teachers already employed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI).

Fenprof cautioned that MECI should not mistake the redistribution of existing staff for the entry of new educators into the system. The union highlighted a declining number of candidates for initial recruitment and expressed concern regarding upcoming retirements; by September 2026, 558 teachers are expected to retire, nearly half the number of those hired through initial recruitment.

Furthermore, the federation pointed to significant regional disparities and recruitment imbalances. Only 3% of the placed teachers are assigned to the most underserved regions, with a high concentration of placements occurring in Greater Lisbon and the Setúbal Peninsula. There is also a noted shortage of candidates in specific areas, including pre-school education, the first cycle of basic education, and special education.