Prime Minister Luís Montenegro stated that the situation of students without classes is improving, guaranteeing that 9,200 teachers entered the teaching career. Montenegro made this statement in the context of criticism about the lack of teachers in Portuguese schools.
The Teachers' Union of the Northern Zone, represented by Fenprof, disputed the numbers presented by the prime minister. According to the union, only 7,000 teachers were actually hired for the career, which represents a significant difference from the 9,200 announced by the government.
Fenprof also highlighted that the majority of these 7,000 teachers were already teaching before being hired, meaning they were teachers who were already working in schools but without a permanent contract. This means it was not a real increase in the number of teachers available to teach.
The debate between the government and the unions comes at a time when several Portuguese schools continue to face difficulties in guaranteeing classes for all students, particularly in subjects with the greatest shortage of teachers.
