At the start of the day, around a thousand students of Padre António Vieira Secondary School in Lisbon found the gates closed. Inside, some workers who did not join the strike for better working conditions were present, yet they were insufficient to keep the Alvalade neighborhood school open.
Nearby at São João de Brito Elementary, the scene was similar. Gates were shut, and a sheet of paper posted on the fence informed of the strike’s impact. Word spread through word-of-mouth and WhatsApp groups, and by 8:30 AM, the sidewalk in front of the school was deserted.
However, minutes later, children accompanied by their caregivers began to arrive again. They were all 4th-grade A students.
“Yesterday there was also a strike, and the school didn’t open. Only they had classes because this week they are going to the Pavilion of Knowledge every day,” said Luís Borges, father of Carolina, referring to the protest called for Thursday by the National Union of State Workers, Municipalities, and Entities with Public and Social Purposes.
Simão Martins, a classmate of Carolina, was well aware that today might be different because “it could be the bus driver missing, the assistant missing, the teacher or the cafeteria staff missing.”
“I want to stay with my grandfather today, I already went to the Pavilion of Knowledge the rest of the week,” admitted the nine-year-old boy who arrived at school hand in hand with his grandfather Pedro.
Soon after, the bus driver arrived, leaving Simão slightly disappointed, but shortly afterwards, a school official announced there would also be no classes for 4th-grade A today.
The news was met with cheers of joy from the children but left some parents concerned.
“I can’t stay with her much, but since her sister attends another school in Forte da Casa and also didn’t have classes, if necessary, I’ll bring her home and they’ll stay together. But I know it’s very difficult for some parents to manage,” said Luís Borges, noting that the sister is 15 years old.
Renato Ferreira, who supports the workers’ struggle, fears for the learning lost by his son Vasco, a classmate of Simão and Carolina: “Fortunately, this year hasn’t been the worst, there have been years when it was practically every week, causing some difficulties, but as I said, I understand the reasons for the strike.”
Renato also recognizes that for many, the biggest problem is finding alternatives for children without classes. “We can’t leave them on the street,” he emphasized.
At Eugénio dos Santos School, several teachers arrived accompanied by their children. On the main gate, a sign warned that the school was closed in the morning due to “lack of safety conditions to operate.”
One of the teachers leaving Eugénio dos Santos mentioned she would be teaching at Queen Dona Leonor Secondary but would take her daughter, as the girl’s school was closed.
“Queen Dona Leonor never closes during strikes. It’s always open and operating normally,” lamented a 10th-grade student.
In Telheiras, the scenario mirrored that of the Alvalade neighborhood. According to the unions that called the strike, the impact is felt throughout the country.
In another part of the capital, near the António Arroio Artistic School, also closed, the secretary-general of the National Federation of Teachers (Fenprof), Feliciano Costa, applauded the strong adherence of workers at 8:00 AM.
“We have schools closed in Viseu, Covilhã, Almada, Sintra, Vialonga, even within the city of Lisbon,” reported Fenprof’s leader, noting that the strike had “a great expression” today with schools where only one or two teachers showed up.
Beyond education, disruptions are expected in health services, public transportation, waste collection, and other public administration sectors affected by the Common Front strike against the government, accusing it of degrading working conditions and disinvesting in public services.
Salary increases, career valuation, reinstatement of the public bond, and the defense of public services are also reasons for calling the strike, covering all state workers.
