Teachers reject the reduction of requirements to teach in the 1st cycle

Around 300 teaching positions in the first cycle of basic education remain unfilled, particularly in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. The Ministry of Education proposes hiring graduates without a professional master's degree to address this shortage. The Missão Escola Pública (MEP) opposes this change, arguing that lowering qualification standards undermines the quality of education at a critical learning stage. They emphasize the need for pedagogical training and specific didactic knowledge to effectively teach reading, writing, and mathematics. The MEP highlights that the decline in unfilled positions over the past decade indicates a need for structural measures rather than reduced qualifications. They advocate for improving working conditions and support for teachers instead of compromising educational standards.