Hundreds of teachers joined forces last week to burn qualifications and diplomas in the latest round of protests to government plans for a special test to determine whether qualified teachers are equipped to take classes or not.
The teachers’ fury centres on the fact that many of them have been teaching for years. “What is this test going to prove?” A female teacher posed the question to television reporters at the weekend. “That I am no good to be a teacher – when I have been teaching in the public system for the last 14 years?”
The government already faces stiff opposition to its plans for the test, which teachers claim is just another ruse to embark on mass-sackings and pocket €1 million in the process.
The tests – scheduled for December 18 – have to be paid for. Each participant must pay €20 – even those who are currently unemployed.
“This is just a way of the government putting another million euros into their pockets,” a primary school teacher told Público newspaper.
“In my case, I am unemployed but if I do not do the test, I will be forbidden from applying for a job in the public system,” added another qualified professional in the protest in Lisbon.
“I have children to feed,” said one of the many hundred protestors. “That means I will probably pay to do the test” even though he clearly disagrees with it.
The tragic situation was highlighted by a mother and daughter, also interviewed by Público – both of them teachers and both of whom took part in last Saturday’s demonstrations.
Patrícia Santos explained that the original of her two-page Master’s degree cost €27. Her mother added that she had spent another €3,000 getting her daughter through her teaching course.
Setting light to the photocopied sheets of Patrícia’s hard-won qualification, Público commented: “the papers quickly turned to ashes, blowing across the pavement.”
While education minister Nuno Crato maintains the unpopular test is simply a way of “defending the quality of education”, the crisis in the sector shows no sign of letting up.
The National Federation of Teachers has called a strike for the day the test is to be held and meantime the country’s lawcourts have received notices of injunctions claiming the test is unconstitutional and an abuse of teachers’ rights.
So far, nine of the 12 injunctions have been accepted. “It’s a hope”, said a teacher.
In Portugal, there are between 30,000 and 40,000 contracted teachers.
