Lisbon Early-Years Teachers Call for Shorter Week Amid Staffing Crisis

Portuguese families with children in the early years may soon feel the impact of a growing standoff between educators and the government. A rare protest in the capital has thrown the spotlight on the long-running dispute over teachers’ working hours, a conflict that union leaders say lies at the heart of the teacher shortage already affecting classrooms across the country.

At a glance

• A crowd of early-years teachers gathered outside the Education Ministry calling for a shorter teaching week.

• They delivered a petition signed by 16,000 people demanding reduced ‘front-of-class’ hours and the removal of non-teaching duties.

• Union federations warn that without swift concessions, a larger demonstration backed by the country’s biggest trade-union confederation will take place later this week.

What happened in Lisbon

Dozens of early-years teachers from the Lisbon region converged on the Ministry of Education building after classes, waving banners that read “25 is too much” – a reference to their 25 hours of weekly face-to-face teaching. Organised by Fenprof, the protest highlighted demands for full equality with colleagues who teach older pupils, the vast majority of whom are capped at 22 hours. Demonstrators also handed ministry officials a petition signed by parents and staff nationwide. The gathering is the first in a series of actions scheduled by multiple unions for January as they seek to draw attention to what they call a “silent exodus” of teachers.

Why early-years teachers say they’ve had enough

Educators who work in monodocência – a single-teacher model common in pre-school and 1.º ciclo – describe mounting fatigue from juggling non-teaching tasks such as playground supervision, hardware maintenance and after-hours meetings. Many cite increasing burnout from an outdated timetable that allots the same weekly minutes regardless of class size or pupil needs. They also complain about extra administrative burdens and the sharp disparity with colleagues in higher cycles that threatens their long-term well-being.

How the workload stacks up

The official schedule assigns early-years teachers 35 hours of work each week, split between 25 hours of lessons and 10 hours for preparation or meetings. In comparison, second-cycle, third-cycle and secondary teachers spend 22 hours in class, and their ‘hour’ is counted as 50 minutes rather than 60. That means a 1.º ciclo teacher can spend the equivalent of nearly two additional school days per month in front of pupils. Union research suggests those extra hours help explain why early-years vacancies are the hardest to fill.

Government’s stance and the roadblocks

Education Minister Fernando Alexandre insists any broad adjustment must wait for the ongoing overhaul of the Career Statute, part of a contentious labour package the cabinet plans to approve before summer. Officials argue negotiations must respect budget limits, warning that cutting the timetable would require hiring thousands more teachers – a difficult task amid a recruitment crisis. The ministry has also floated the wider use of service minimums to keep schools open during strikes, a move unions say erodes their bargaining power. Talks continue, but the official timeline runs through spring, leaving many public schools in limbo.

What experts warn – and parents fear

Educational researchers caution that reducing hours without hiring reinforcements risks shuffling the problem onto substitute teachers, potentially lowering quality. Yet failing to ease burnout could accelerate departures from the profession, undermining long-term retention and harming learning outcomes. Parent associations voice concern over lost teaching time but also back measures that restore parental trust in state schools. Economists, meanwhile, flag the fiscal cost of any blanket reform, estimating that every hour trimmed could necessitate hundreds of new hires to keep staffing levels stable and allow proper training, or risk widening inequity between richer and poorer municipalities.

What happens next

The spotlight now shifts to a nationwide rally called by CGTP-IN march organisers. The demonstration will set off from Largo Camões toward São Bento, where union leaders intend to deliver a fresh bundle of signatures to lawmakers. A general strike remains on the table if talks stall. Further January protests by early-years educators could disrupt class schedules as unions seek to show escalating signatures and sharpen the sense of escalation. School heads are bracing for possible staffing gaps, warning parents that lessons could be cancelled with little notice, underscoring the broader classroom impact of the dispute.

Snapshot: hours, pay and vacancies

Numbers illustrate the challenge:

• 25 hours of face-to-face teaching in pre-school and 1.º ciclo versus 22 hours in higher cycles.

• 35 hours total is the statutory workweek for all teachers.

• 78% schools reported at least one vacancy at the start of the academic year; 38 had more than ten.

• A 3 hours gap separates current practice from union demands.

• Early-years lessons last 60-minute periods, unlike the 50-minute format used elsewhere.

• Statutory seniority reductions – intended to trim workloads for older staff – often go unimplemented, according to unions.

Whether the government yields on the teaching day or finds another compromise, stakeholders agree on one point: the future of Portugal’s youngest pupils hinges on a settlement that keeps experienced teachers in the classroom while attracting new talent to a profession under strain.