With just over a month until the Christmas holidays, the National Federation of Teachers (Fenprof) has reviewed requests from teachers across all schools and identified “480 teaching positions” that remain unfilled, 142 of which are for the 1st cycle.
According to Fenprof, “133 classes of the 1st cycle” lack a permanent teacher, affecting an estimated “3,325 students,” said the federation’s secretary-general, José Feliciano Costa.
The Lisbon region emerges as the most affected, with 76 vacant positions. Following are schools in Setúbal with 29 unfilled slots, and Faro with 19.
In primary schools in Beja, six positions remain vacant, while in Leiria, five more need filling.
In the Lisbon area, noteworthy is the Almeida Garrett school group in Amadora, still searching for teachers for eight slots, and Vergílio Ferreira in Lisbon with six positions listed on platforms.
Schools face daily challenges in recruiting teachers. The management at Agrupamento de Escolas Vergílio Ferreira mentioned vacancies are posted as soon as a teacher fails to show, yet very few apply.
At Escola Básica Luz-Carnide, a part of the group, the 1st-year students lost their class teacher shortly after school commenced. The teacher, who at the initial parent-teacher meeting indicated “not staying with the class,” went on leave two weeks later, according to parental reports.
The school management attempted to hire a new teacher unsuccessfully. Although vacancies were announced, there have been “no applicants or those who applied lacked the necessary qualifications,” explained the sub-director of the Agrupamento de Escolas Virgílio Ferreira.
As an interim solution, the school’s coordinator stepped in, but she also went on medical leave at the end of last month. Students are now “distributed among different classes in the school,” stated Ana Rita Duarte, the sub-director of the group.
Fenprof has highlighted the issue of recruiting teachers for the 1st cycle, pointing out that unlike other education levels, these positions require professionally trained teachers.
In higher education levels, schools accept graduates with relevant subject knowledge, meaning they are not professionally certified teachers.
This situation reflects the low attractiveness of the teaching career and an aging workforce, leading to significantly more retirements than new, young teacher entrants.
Approximately two weeks ago, the Minister of Education addressed the parliament, indicating nearly 500 school groups face shortages of teachers for all educational levels.
Fernando Alexandre focused on the ongoing teacher shortage at the beginning of his presentation of the State Budget Proposal for 2026, which plans to “spend an additional 118 million euros” on addressing the issue of students without classes.
Efforts to attract teachers include support for relocation for those placed far from home, a new extraordinary external competition for schools with significant hiring challenges, and an option for teachers to extend their careers beyond the retirement age.
Both the ministry and the unions agree that a solution should also involve revising the Teaching Career Statute and offering more attractive conditions such as faster progression and higher salaries.
