In April, the government signed two new decrees to enable the opening of positions in preschool for the upcoming academic year, aiming to accommodate an additional five thousand children aged three and above, prioritizing families in need.
Based on an estimate generated by cross-referencing enrollment data from the Enrollment Portal with the forecast of classes to be established in the public network and in Private Institutions of Social Solidarity (IPSS), the authorities have updated the list of parishes lacking adequate provision.
In a response to the Lusa news agency, the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI) stated that the 12,475 positions available are distributed across 65 municipalities, most of which (8,965) are in the Greater Lisbon area.
“With this competition, MECI believes it is possible to promptly address the needs of children and families and accelerate progress towards universal preschool access from age three, as planned in the Government Program,” stated the ministry.
According to the notice announcing the competition, there are 10 parishes where more than 200 positions are lacking—half of which are in the Sintra municipality—and over 30 parishes where between 100 and 175 spots are needed.
Private and cooperative educational institutions located in areas adjoining the identified parishes may also apply.
The competition runs until 6:00 PM on July 17.
The financial support is allocated per child, amounting to 208.05 euros, or 15,000 euros for incentives to open new classrooms.
In April, the Association of Private and Cooperative Educational Institutions (AEEP) warned that the opening of the then-proposed five thousand positions might be at risk, arguing that the low amounts allocated and short duration of agreements make the opening of new classrooms unfeasible.
“Opening new classrooms will be very challenging because it is not viable to open classrooms and pay salaries with these amounts. What will happen is students will fill up classrooms that are not yet full,” said Rodrigo Queiroz e Melo, the executive director of AEEP, at the time.
