The 2024/2025 school year has concluded, leaving a concerning issue in its wake: the persistent shortage of teachers in schools has once again negatively impacted many students’ education. The promise to ensure stability among the teaching staff and reduce periods without classes was not fulfilled; rather, the situation has worsened, according to a statement from Fenprof.
The federation’s data estimates nearly 1.4 million instances of students being without at least one class over the course of the year.
“During the 1st term alone, the number reached 826,000; in the 2nd, it was 402,000, and around 150,000 in the 3rd. Although these numbers include duplications—students missing several teachers or at various times—the scenario they reveal is clear: the system is not meeting the minimum requirements,” they emphasized.
The federation notes that the Ministry of Education set “ambitious goals,” such as reducing by 90% the number of students without all their teachers by the end of the 1st term.
They highlight that “the target was far from being reached” and even the release of official data was called into question, prompting the minister to commission an external audit from KPMG.
According to Fenprof, the conclusions were supposed to be disclosed by April but remain unpublished, “showing a concerning lack of transparency and political responsibility.”
They also mention that, in an attempt to mitigate the effects of the teacher shortage, temporary solutions were employed, such as delaying teacher retirements, hiring non-professionals, assigning subjects outside their training area, redistributing duties, and using specialized technicians to cover incomplete schedules.
“In many cases, these strategies only postponed or disguised the problem without resolving it,” they lament.
Simultaneously, the number of available teachers continues to fall short of needs, says the federation, noting that Lisbon, Setúbal, and Faro remain the most affected areas. However, they underline that “no district escaped instability” this year.
For Fenprof, the issue is expected to worsen in the coming school year, with the number of teachers not placed in the 2025 External Competition slightly over 20,000, mainly in Preschool Education, the 1st Cycle of basic education, Special Education, and Physical Education groups.
“In this case, even slightly below the previous year’s value, this number reveals a structural deficit of human resources and a lack of effective attractiveness and retention policies within the profession,” they warn.
“Given the state of affairs, how can the XXV Constitutional Government and the same Minister of Education, one year into governance, claim they will now: ‘Identify the needs for teachers for the next decade, by subject group and region (…), ” they question.
Fenprof reiterates that “urgent action is necessary” to value the teaching profession, ensuring “dignified and attractive working conditions and stability in schools.”
In their view, these measures “cannot continue to be postponed, lest thousands of children and young people continue to be severely disadvantaged.”
