Bell Rings, No Teacher: Portugal’s Schools Start Short-Staffed

Families who returned from summer break this week discovered that some classrooms still had no permanent teacher, even though the school bell rang across Portugal between 11 and 15 September. Officials insist the problem is localised, yet parents in Lisbon, Setúbal and the Algarve are already comparing notes on WhatsApp about timetable gaps, merged classes and substitute staff arriving halfway through the day. The government says almost 19 000 teachers were placed in August, but union figures show roughly 3 000 timetables are still on the hunt for a qualified professional.

A complicated first day for many international families

Waiting outside the gates of an agrupamento in Almada on Monday, Colombian software engineer Valeria Gómez was told her son’s Year 7 science period would be covered “in rotation” until further notice. Similar scenes played out in Cascais and Faro, where head teachers pinned up temporary schedules. For foreign residents, these last-minute changes are unsettling because they collide with the already steep learning curve of a new language and curriculum. Maths, Physics–Chemistry and English are the subjects most likely to start the term without a dedicated tutor, according to the teachers’ federation FENPROF.

Shortages hit hardest south of the Tagus

Data released by the Direção-Geral da Administração Escolar show that the majority of the 17 455 teachers moved through internal mobility accepted posts in the North, where housing is cheaper and commutes shorter. Schools in the Lisbon metropolitan area, the Alentejo plains and the Algarve resort belt therefore opened with hundreds of incomplete schedules. The mismatch is not only geographical but also disciplinary: while Physical Education is fully staffed, STEM and language departments are scraping by with ad-hoc fixes.

Why the capital can’t keep its maths teachers

Lisbon’s property market explains much of the imbalance. A rookie teacher earning €1 250 before tax pays, on average, €1 300 for a one-bed flat inside the ring-road. Unsurprisingly, almost 20 000 certified educators who remained unplaced this year declined offers south of Coimbra or rejected timetables under 22 hours. Education Minister Fernando Alexandre has called on the Câmara Municipal de Lisboa to set aside housing stock for educators, echoing schemes already used for nurses and police officers.

Emergency tools the ministry is deploying

Facing a demographic cliff—2 054 teachers retired between January and August alone—the government rolled out a package of stop-gap measures in 2025. An extraordinary external competition offered 1 800 permanent posts, and travel allowances now kick in for anyone posted more than 70 km from home. Scholarships worth €750 are available to first-year teaching students, while seasoned staff who postpone retirement can claim up to €750 extra per month. Yet critics argue that these carrots have not been enough to lure talent to the classroom fast enough.

What an understaffed timetable means for pupils

The immediate consequence is larger classes. Some Year 9 maths groups in Setúbal have climbed to 32 pupils, above the national guideline of 28. Curriculum coverage is another casualty: schools often front-load chapters that can be delivered by available teachers and postpone lab-heavy units until a specialist arrives. Parents should expect more homework assignments designed for self-study and a heavier reliance on digital platforms such as Escola Virtual to bridge gaps.

A door half-open for qualified expats

Ironically, the staffing crunch creates opportunities for foreign educators with recognised credentials. International schools charge fees that many expatriates can afford, but public schools now actively court bilingual candidates for English, ICT and science. Non-EU teachers must validate their degrees through the University of Lisbon or Porto, a process that can take several months, yet the payoff is a permanent position in a country where demand is projected to outstrip supply until at least 2031. Agencies report that contracts in the Algarve with rent subsidies are signed within days.

Can long-term fixes arrive fast enough?

Portugal is not alone—UNESCO warns Latin America will need 3.2 M extra teachers by 2030—but the clock is ticking faster here because the workforce is greying: 44 % of teachers are already over 50. Higher-education faculties filled every one of the extra places they opened this summer, a hopeful sign, although graduates will not reach classrooms before 2027. In the meantime, schools lean on weekly recruitment pools and creative timetabling. For parents weighing a move to Portugal, the takeaway is clear: the system remains functional, yet flexibility and proactive follow-up with school boards are essential during these transitional years.