The Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, admitted on Tuesday that Portugal will continue to face a teacher shortage for several years, especially in primary education, on the day when 2,620 unfilled positions were reported. The official explained that the problem is due to the fact that approximately 4,000 teachers retire every year.
The National Federation of Teachers (Fenprof) reported that 2,650 positions remain on offer in schools, corresponding to more than 50,000 hours, just days before the start of the school year. The most severe cases are in primary education, with 378 full-time positions unfilled, which the minister acknowledged is a "more difficult problem to solve."
Fernando Alexandre highlighted that the Ministry has managed to ensure that "no teacher is absent from the classroom" through instruments such as the payment of overtime hours, with 20 million euros being paid in overtime to teachers who covered classes for retired or sick colleagues in the first half of 2026.
Solutions include strengthening teacher training, splitting classes, bringing classes to the maximum number of students, and collaborating with municipalities. The minister assured that the goal is to ensure that no student of compulsory school age is denied access to education. The statement was made on the sidelines of the activation of Digital Mobile Key at a school in Carnaxide, Oeiras.
