The report was presented today by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI), one week after the official start of the 2025/2026 school year.
As of September 17, schools had requested 2,410 teaching positions, with 1,042 (43%) completely filled, according to the Educational System Management Agency.
Out of 810 school groups or ungrouped schools, at least one teacher was missing in 635 (78%), and there are 38 establishments where the situation is more severe.
In these 38 schools, more than 10 positions remained vacant, with at least 10 full-time teachers needed in 11 of them.
The data confirm ongoing challenges in teacher recruitment, particularly in Lisbon, where 20 schools reported more than 10 vacant positions, and in the Setúbal Peninsula, with five schools facing similar issues.
Recruitment difficulties persist in certain subjects, notably in preschool, special education, Portuguese for third-cycle students, and Information Technology, continuing trends from previous years.
Notably, 16,400 professionally qualified teachers have yet to secure positions.
Recent figures contrast with previous statements by Education Minister Fernando Alexandre, who assured that students in at least 98% of schools would receive lessons in all subjects on the eve of the school year’s commencement, as all teachers had reportedly been placed.
The MECI highlights that with a teaching staff of approximately 130,000, it is expected that vacancies will arise throughout the academic year due to retirements, medical leaves, or maternity and parental leaves.
To address this, a new placement process was implemented at the start of last week, introducing recruitment reserves every three working days instead of weekly, purportedly doubling the speed of placements.
The MECI also prioritizes reducing extended vacancies.
“It is crucial to identify schools with structural teacher shortages, which result in prolonged unfilled positions. Solving these structural issues requires targeted measures for these schools,” the ministry stated, mentioning initiatives such as an extraordinary recruitment competition for approximately 1,800 teachers in needy areas and a bonus for relocated teachers in these regions.
Last week, the National Federation of Teachers (Fenprof) argued that more teachers are missing at the start of this school year compared to the previous one, stating that the competing vacancies represent more than 100,000 students.
Without directly referencing the union federation, the MECI emphasizes that identified needs “do not directly correlate with the number of students without classes, as directors have tools to ensure classes continue,” such as allocating overtime hours.
The government has stressed that it’s not currently possible to accurately tally how many students lack lessons in at least one subject. A new information system is being developed to provide these insights, expected to be completed during the school year.
