As the new academic year begins, approximately 1.3 million students from grades 1 to 12 in Portugal are facing significant teacher shortages.

Education Minister Fernando Alexandre has acknowledged that the situation may worsen in the coming days due to an increase in medical leave among teachers.

To combat these shortages, the government has initiated an extraordinary recruitment competition aimed at the most underserved schools, which is expected to conclude by November.

The government is committed to reducing the number of students without classes in at least one subject by 90% during the first term compared to the previous year.

Alexandre emphasized the need to improve salaries for teachers, particularly those in the initial tiers, to attract new educators to the profession.

In response to the teacher shortage, the government has introduced the '+ Aulas + Sucesso' plan, allowing schools to hire retired teachers and doctoral students.

Despite recent recruitment efforts, 2,228 teaching positions remain unfilled, highlighting the ongoing challenges in staffing schools.

The Minister noted the crucial role of school directors in managing schedules and hiring, which directly impacts teacher availability.

The government is also preparing to revise the Teacher Career Statute, with negotiations set to begin in October, aiming to make the teaching profession more attractive.

Alexandre warned that the issue of students without teachers cannot be resolved in a single year, but he is committed to addressing it by the end of the legislative term.

He also stressed the importance of ensuring that non-teaching staff receive proper training and support to facilitate effective school operations.

The European Commission reports that 24 member states are experiencing problems related to teacher scarcity, indicating a broader issue across Europe.