- 2023Approved/Agreed
- 2024Implementation
Background
In Portugal, as in other countries, the ageing of the teaching workforce, the increasing difficulties in renewing them, and the declining demand for initial training courses in education, have led to difficulties in recruiting new teachers.
Aware of these challenges and recognising the value and impact of teachers on the quality of education, the XXIII Constitutional Government made a commitment in its Programme to guarantee public schools the number and quality of teachers needed to carry out their mission.
Objectives
The changes contribute to promoting the increase of candidates for the attendance of master's in teaching to ensure the necessary number of educators and teachers with the appropriate qualifications to meet the needs of the education system.
Description
The Teaching career law for pre-school, basic and secondary education has been reviewed. The organisation of initial teacher training courses is based, among other things, on the students' profile at the end of compulsory education and essential learning (knowledge, skills and attitudes to be developed by all students in each subject). Training now includes education for citizenship, inclusive education and the use of digital technologies.
Specific rules shall be laid down for the acquisition of a professional qualification for teaching for candidates who:
- have at least 6 years of teaching service completed in the last 10 years, with a minimum assessment of 'Good', in the respective recruitment group;
- to holders of the master's or doctor's degree in the scientific field covered by their recruitment group;
- to students who have attended those courses but have not completed them.
For example, the first ones have the possibility of replacing supervised teaching practice with the presentation and defence of a scientifically supported theoretical-practical report covering this teaching period. The second and third have the possibility to complete their master's degrees in teaching within a period of less than two school years.
The fixing of the maximum number of vacancies by higher education institutions should ensure supernumerary vacancies for candidates without a professional teaching qualification, with teaching...
The Teaching career law for pre-school, basic and secondary education has been reviewed. The organisation of initial teacher training courses is based, among other things, on the students' profile at the end of compulsory education and essential learning (knowledge, skills and attitudes to be developed by all students in each subject). Training now includes education for citizenship, inclusive education and the use of digital technologies.
Specific rules shall be laid down for the acquisition of a professional qualification for teaching for candidates who:
- have at least 6 years of teaching service completed in the last 10 years, with a minimum assessment of 'Good', in the respective recruitment group;
- to holders of the master's or doctor's degree in the scientific field covered by their recruitment group;
- to students who have attended those courses but have not completed them.
For example, the first ones have the possibility of replacing supervised teaching practice with the presentation and defence of a scientifically supported theoretical-practical report covering this teaching period. The second and third have the possibility to complete their master's degrees in teaching within a period of less than two school years.
The fixing of the maximum number of vacancies by higher education institutions should ensure supernumerary vacancies for candidates without a professional teaching qualification, with teaching experience.
Trainees will now be remunerated according to the assigned timetable, using index 167 of the career scale of children's educators and primary and secondary school teachers.
The status of the practice advisor teacher, who supervises teaching practice, is valued through measures such as limiting their teaching responsibilities to no more than six hours per week and allowing them to accumulate teaching functions in the higher education institution.
Decree-Law No 112/2023 of 29 November amends the legal regime governing professional qualifications for teachers in pre-school, primary and secondary education. It aims to effectively increase the number of candidates for the master's degree in teaching and to guarantee public schools the number and quality of educators and teachers needed to fulfil their mission.
Decree-Law No 23/2024 of 19 March amends the legal regime for professional qualifications for teaching in pre-school, basic, and secondary schools. The amendments aim to make the model of supervised teaching practice more flexible to strengthen the scientific and pedagogical autonomy of higher education establishments.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI)
Target groups
Education professionals
- Teachers
- Trainers
Thematic categories
Teachers, trainers and school leaders competences
Competent and motivated VET teachers in schools and trainers in companies are crucial to VET becoming innovative and relevant, agile, resilient, flexible, inclusive and lifelong.
This thematic category comprises policies and practices of initial training and continuing professional development approaches in a systemic and systematic manner. It also looks at measures aiming to update (entry) requirements and make teaching and training careers attractive and bring more young and talented individuals and business professionals into teaching and training. Supporting VET educators by equipping them with adequate competences, skills and tools for the green transition and digital teaching and learning are addressed in separate thematic sub-categories.
The measures in this category target teachers and school leaders, company trainers and mentors, adult educators and guidance practitioners.
This thematic sub-category refers to all kinds of initial and continuing professional development (CPD) for VET educators who work in vocational schools and in companies providing VET. VET educators include teachers and school leaders, trainers and company managers involved in VET, as well as adult educators and guidance practitioners – those who work in school- and work-based settings. The thematic sub-category includes national strategies, training programmes or individual courses to address the learning needs of VET educators and to develop their vocational (technical) skills, and pedagogical (teaching) skills and competences. Such programmes concern state-of-the-art vocational pedagogy, innovative teaching methods, and competences needed to address evolving teaching environments, e.g. teaching in multicultural settings, working with learners at risk of early leaving, etc.
This thematic sub-category refers to measures aimed at engaging more professionals into teaching and training careers, including career schemes or incentives. It includes measures enabling teaching and training of staff, managing VET provider and trainer teams in companies to act as multipliers and mediators, and supporting their peers and/or local communities.
European priorities in VET
VET Recommendation
- VET as an attractive choice based on modern and digitalised provision of training and skills
Osnabrück Declaration
- European Education and Training Area and international VET
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Revising teacher careers: Portugal. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/46619