Lisbon, Sept 17, 2025 (Lusa) – Presidential candidate António Filipe today criticized the Government for not finding solutions to the shortage of teachers, warning of the consequences of what he considers to be a process of “degradation” of public schools in the country.
“Despite the Government’s efforts to downplay the issue, it is very significant, with a large number of our students without classes in various subjects due to the lack of teachers, and the Government has not found a solution to this problem,” he stated after a meeting with the National Federation of Teachers (FENPROF) in Lisbon.
The candidate, supported by the PCP, shared concerns with the teachers’ union regarding the start of the school year, particularly about the teacher shortage.
António Filipe expressed concern over the “state of public schools,” warning of a “degradation” process that could have severe consequences for the country’s future by compromising the necessary qualifications of future generations needed for development.
Last Thursday, the National Federation of Teachers (Fenprof) reported during a parliamentary hearing that the school year started with 6,000 students in the first cycle without teachers, who would likely be redistributed to other classes.
These figures were presented by Fenprof’s secretary-general, José Feliciano Costa, who highlighted to deputies the risk of some subjects being left without teachers if immediate actions are not undertaken.
“Currently, more than 1,300 teaching positions remain unfilled,” he added.
This Tuesday, addressing the teacher shortages in some regions, the Minister of Education stated that the Government is redeploying more teachers to schools from other roles to fill vacant positions.
“We had over two thousand teachers involved in other municipal and organizational tasks, and they are needed in schools. Our rule is ‘those needed in school, return to school.’ (…) If someone indeed needs to be elsewhere, mobility is allowed. Otherwise, the priority is teaching, which was our defined criterion,” he emphasized.
TYRS (AH) // SF
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