Portugal Faces Teacher Shortage: Government Opens Extraordinary Recruitment with 1800 Positions to Fill 3000 Vacancies

Urgent Need for Educators in Portuguese Schools

With just two weeks until the start of the school year, Portuguese schools are grappling with a significant deficit, as about three thousand teacher schedules remain unfilled. To address this critical shortage, the government is launching an extraordinary recruitment competition offering nearly 1,800 positions, specifically targeting areas that struggle the most to attract teaching professionals.

Details from the Ministry

Education, Science, and Innovation Minister Fernando Alexandre disclosed today that there are still "approximately three thousand schedules to be filled." This announcement came after a meeting with unions to discuss a new decree that establishes a temporary and exceptional regime for hiring teachers in the 10 regions of the country with the highest number of students lacking classes.

Upcoming Recruitment Efforts

Next week, an additional recruitment reserve will begin, enabling schools to hire more educators. In a move similar to last academic year, the ministry has also decided to initiate an external extraordinary competition this year. This competition aims to recruit teachers for preschool, basic, and secondary education levels.

Geographic Focus of the Vacancies

The approximately 1,800 vacancies are concentrated in 10 Pedagogical Zone Frameworks. The majority—around 1,100 positions—are allocated for schools in Lisbon, as stated by the minister. Additionally, 20% of the vacancies will be available in the Setúbal region, with the remaining 10% designated for schools in the Alentejo and Algarve regions.