Over two thousand teachers called in sick last week, worsening the teacher shortage crisis marking the start of the school year. The Ministry of Education is preparing a daily placement system to try to address the absences in schools.
The shortage of teachers continues to be a significant problem at the start of the school year. The situation affects numerous classes and subjects across the country.
The general secretary of Fenprof, José Feliciano Costa, warned about the scale of the problem. According to his estimates, over 100,000 students may have at least one missing teacher at their schools.
Why this matters
Readers in Portugal are directly facing the impact of this teacher shortage in schools, with potential consequences for the quality of education and family organization. The situation particularly affects parents and the remaining teachers in schools, at an already stressful time of school year start. The government is trying to respond with daily placement measures, but the numbers suggest a structural crisis that may persist.
WHY: Readers in Portugal are directly facing the impact of this shortage in the country's schools, with potential consequences for the quality of education and family organization. The situation particularly affects parents and the students themselves, at an already stressful time of school year start. The Ministry is trying to respond with daily placement measures, but the high numbers of sick leaves suggest a crisis that may persist.
