Portugal education sector faces teacher shortages and recruitment delays

Portugal is facing significant challenges in its education sector as the new school year approaches. More than 2,000 teaching positions remain vacant, with shortages particularly acute in the Algarve, Lisbon, and Setúbal regions. While Minister of Education Fernando Alexandre maintains that available teachers will cover these needs, the Federation of National Education (FNE) has called for clarity on the shortage and measures to retain staff.

Simultaneously, the teachers' union Fenprof has denounced failures in the recruitment process (RR02). The union claims that technical errors in the digital platform have prevented school directors from validating schedules, leading to delays in teacher placements. This has resulted in teachers being assigned to locations far from their homes and potentially leaving many students without instructors at the start of the term.

In Madeira, the Regional Secretariat for Education reported that 245 teachers have been hired, noting that 90.4% of permanent staff remain in their previous schools. The secretariat dismissed union criticisms as misinformation, attributing a slight decrease in hiring to a reduction in the total number of classes.

Adding to the systemic pressure, the PISA 2025 report indicates a decline in Portuguese students' performance in Mathematics and Reading, with results regressing to levels seen approximately 20 years ago. While science scores remain stable, the decline in core subjects mirrors a broader downward trend observed in OECD countries since 2015.