Portugal Education Minister addresses school placement and teacher shortages

Portugal's Minister of Education, Fernando Alexandre, has addressed the ongoing crisis regarding school placements and teacher shortages following the start of the academic year. Despite reports of students remaining at home without school vacancies, the Minister stated that all students are being placed, noting that over 100 new requests for public school spots were received in a single day.

In the Lisbon region alone, more than 1,300 students were placed in schools this week. Regarding the teacher shortage, Alexandre mentioned there are approximately 1,000 full teaching schedules to be filled and announced a new mechanism for daily teacher substitutions. He noted that while 11,000 teachers are available, a mismatch exists between teacher preferences and institutional needs.

Meanwhile, the parents' group ‘Não Somos Bonecos’ is preparing legal action against the Ministry. Spokesperson Rui Boavida reported that within a surveyed group of 60 families, 15 students—ranging from preschool to secondary education—still lack placements or information. The group highlighted the impact on low-income and single-parent families across various regions, including Lisbon, Porto, and Portimão.