Luís Montenegro claims improved teacher staffing in Portugal

Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro stated during the national school year opening ceremony in Setúbal that fewer students are without teachers this year. He reported that approximately 9,200 teachers have joined the permanent teaching career under his government, with 3,000 of those placed in high-pressure areas. Montenegro attributed this improvement to increased teacher training, salary incentives, and housing cost support.

However, the National Federation of Teachers (Fenprof) disputed these claims. Secretary-general José Feliciano Costa argued that while roughly 7,000 teachers joined the career over the last two years, most were already working within the education system, meaning there was no true increase in staffing levels. Costa highlighted ongoing shortages, noting that in the Queluz-Belas school grouping, 19 out of more than 40 first-cycle classes remain without a teacher.