Portugal Education Minister Fernando Alexandre under fire as digital exam failures spark protests

Technical problems in the digital processing of Portugal’s secondary‑school national exams caused delayed grades and a surge in re‑appraisal requests – about 8,900 this year, up 43% on the previous cycle. The issues prompted mass protests in Lisbon, with students and teachers from movements such as Chumbado, Missão Escola Pública and Voz aos Estudantes demanding the resignation of Education Minister Fernando Alexandre. The minister acknowledged the flaws, apologized and announced an extraordinary exam session from 3 to 8 September for all students eligible for the second phase, allowing the higher of two scores to count. The first phase of the university admission contest saw a sharp drop in applications – 19,986 registrations in the first five days versus 28,809 a year earlier – as many candidates struggled to obtain the ENES record needed for enrollment. The Socialist Party warned it will move to a parliamentary inquiry if the minister does not answer a set of questions on the digitalisation process by September, while school‑director associations have asked for a delayed start to the next academic year.