30,000 students still lack at least one teacher
More than 300,000 students have not had classes for at least three weeks this school year in Portugal, according to an estimate by the National Teachers’ Federation (FENPROF), which speaks of the ālack of effectivenessā of the Ministry of Education’s plans.
Fenprof’s general secretary, MĆ”rio Nogueira, said on Wednesday that the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI)’s plans to reduce the number of students without classes has shown a “lack of effectiveness” and a “lack of ambition to solve the problem.”
“Students without a teacher this year are not far off last year’s (figures),” said MĆ”rio Nogueira. “Over the first term, without considering short-term absences, more than 300,000 students were without a teacher for at least three weeks up to a month,” he added.
Looking only at the last day of classes of the first term, which ended on Tuesday, there were still around 30,000 students without at least one teacher, said MĆ”rio Nogueira, adding that these estimates were “below reality”.
“The first quarter of this school year has shown the lack of effectiveness of the measures taken by the Ministry and the lack of teachers is compounded by a lack of ambition to solve the problem,” accused the general secretary of Fenprof, referring to the āMore Lessons More Successā and āLearn + Nowā (A+A) projects.
“The new A+A plan shows that the ministry’s ideas are a real desert,” said MĆ”rio Nogueira at a press conference, questioning the model allowingĀ retired teachers to accept voluntary work in schools.
MƔrio Nogueira recalled that there is still a big difference between young people who start teaching in schools and those who retire, pointing out that this school year alone, between September and December, 1,686 teachers retired and that next year, in January alone, 374 teachers will retire.
Source: LUSAĀ
