The Lisbon municipal executive, in a private meeting, reviewed ASE measures for the 2025/2026 academic year, based on a proposal from the PSD/CDS-PP leadership suggesting the maintenance of support provided in the previous academic year.
PS, PCP, and Cidadãos Por Lisboa (elected by the PS/Livre coalition) proposed changes, all of which were approved despite opposition from PSD/CDS-PP, which governs without an absolute majority, as confirmed by a source from the city hall.
Cidadãos Por Lisboa (CPL) proposed a 25% increase in some of the planned supports, specifically for school supplies (25 euros/year/student) and study visits (25 euros/year/student) for first cycle students in ASE categories A and B, and for students with special health needs (NSE).
Other measures include increasing support for assistive technologies for NSE students in the first cycle, rising from 24 to 30 euros, and the increase in support for consumable materials (31.25 euros/year/child, previously 25 euros/year/child) for preschool children in ASE categories A and B and NSE.
Additionally, based on CPL’s proposal, there was approval for increasing the amount allocated to each learning support center (CAA) for acquiring general use consumable materials to 250 euros/year. The annual amount per child/student in CAA with additional measures will also rise from 250 to 300 euros for acquiring specific and individual use materials when other materials are not pedagogically suitable.
CPL councilors highlighted that updating ASE’s values for 2025/2026 aims to address the rising inflation’s impact on families’ lives: “We know well how much school materials cost in the monthly budget now.”
The PS proposal concerns support in purchasing scientific calculators for 10th-grade students, with a maximum value of 100 euros/student, recommending that municipal services implement a voucher system so families’ reimbursements are not hindered by bureaucratic blockages.
The PCP suggested changing the timing of fund transfers related to calculator purchase support from the second to the first quarter and advocated for ongoing support of the “Há gosto — school meals in August” project.
After being approved by the majority, the proposed amendments from PCP, PS, and CPL were incorporated into the PSD/CDS-PP document, which was ultimately unanimously approved.
The measures for the next academic year maintain school meal support for preschool, primary, and secondary students, guaranteeing free meals (breakfast, lunch, and snack) for ASE and NSE categories A and B.
One measure is to continue a 50% reduction in school meal (lunch) costs for preschool and primary and secondary students not in ASE categories A and B, as well as support for school milk for preschool children and first cycle primary education students.
Before incorporating the opposition councilors’ suggested changes, the proposal from Education Councilor Sofia Athayde (CDS-PP) projected a total investment of 1.62 million euros, a budget that requires municipal assembly approval for 2025/2026 ASE measures.
The Lisbon City Council executive, composed of 17 members, includes seven from the “Novos Tempos” coalition – PSD/CDS-PP/MPT/PPM/Aliança, three from PS, three from Cidadãos Por Lisboa, two from PCP, one from Livre, and one from BE.
