The Government of Portugal has enacted a new Decree-Law extending support to all teachers in primary and secondary education who will teach at Portuguese Schools Abroad (EPE) in the public network starting next academic year. This decision seeks to address existing disparities in mobility support among statutory teachers, school staff, and contracted teachers.
The announcement detailed that currently, the support measures for teachers in statutory mobility are not extended to those within the school staff or contracted educators. From the next academic year, all teachers appointed to EPE will receive installation and return support, travel for themselves and their families to and from the host country, a yearly trip back home, health insurance for themselves and their families, and residential cost support adjusted to their host country’s conditions.
The Portuguese Ministry of Education, Science, and Innovation confirmed that the measure aims to ensure equity among teachers at public network EPEs, addressing significant disparities between teachers in the same or different schools. While existing supports are not applicable to teaching staff or contracted teachers, these changes, effective next academic year, underwent negotiation with unions, leading to revisions of the proposal.
Teachers currently appointed to an EPE and remaining into the next academic year will receive a compensation equivalent to six months’ residential cost support due to changing living costs. Additional approved benefits include installation and return support, equating to twice the residential cost support allowance—disbursed with the first and last salary payments—and health insurance for teachers and their families. A retention bonus, payable once after four years of continuous service and matching the base salary, is also included.
Children of these teachers will be exempt from tuition fees and other school-related expenses. Moreover, teachers and family members are entitled to round-trip travel between Portugal and their appointed country at the start and end of their tenure, with annual travel entitlements during the academic tenures, regardless of aligning with the school term calendar.
The residential cost support, available for 12 months, varies based on living cost, risk level, and unsanitary conditions in the country of appointment. In Angola, Brazil, and Mozambique, directors receive 2,700 euros, deputy directors 2,200 euros, and teaching staff 1,850 euros per month. In Cape Verde and Timor-Leste, directors earn 2,200 euros, deputy directors 1,800 euros, and teaching staff 1,500 euros. Meanwhile, in São Tomé, directors will earn 2,200 euros, deputy directors 1,800 euros, and teaching staff 1,350 euros.
Compensation for teachers deployed this academic year is set at 11,100 euros for Angola, Brazil, and Mozambique, 9,000 euros for Cape Verde and Timor-Leste, and 8,100 euros for São Tomé. The Government has mandated that teachers must serve two consecutive years at their assigned schools, reinforcing public investment continuity. Failure to comply without unavoidable circumstances necessitates return of received funds for workplace installation support and forfeits travel support for returning to Portugal.
Today’s Decree-Law also stipulates that teachers placed in an EPE with ties to school grouping frameworks, non-grouped school frameworks, or regional pedagogic frameworks retain their original positions for four years.
