A solution was found for 500 students who could not find a place in a public school in Lisbon

As the new academic year began in Lisbon, a solution was found for approximately 500 students who could not find a place in public schools. Following the meeting held on Monday between the Ministry of Education and school administrators in the city, which lasted approximately seven hours, places were determined for all students.

The development comes after families experienced uncertainty at the start of the school year. However, warnings continue that the problem is not limited to Lisbon.

Seven hour emergency meeting

The Ministry of Education summoned the administrators of school groups within the boundaries of the Lisbon municipality to an emergency meeting on Monday.

According to the information Renascença received from the education sector, the meeting lasted approximately seven hours and a solution was produced for all 500 children and young people who do not yet have a place in the public school in the city.

Education Minister Fernando Alexandre also announced that students will not be excluded from the public education system.

The important detail in the minister's statement is that it does not necessarily mean that students will be placed in the school of their families' first choice. The Ministry states that a place will be provided in the system, but this may not always be the first school on the preference list.

Schools that do not accept students even though they have vacant places are being examined

Another dimension of the crisis was brought to the audit process.

Fernando Alexandre, regarding some school administrators who allegedly did not accept students despite having the capacity announced that an investigation has been launched.

The Minister stated that rejecting a student even though there is free capacity could constitute an irregularity and that the relevant administrators were called.

The problem also occurs outside Lisbon

Rui Boavida, spokesman for the group formed by the families, argues that the school location problem is not only experienced in the capital.

Stating that the cases reaching the group come from different regions from Porto to the Algarve, Boavida says that families have difficulty finding direct interlocutors at the central level.

Therefore, although the placement of 500 students in Lisbon is an important development, it does not mean that the problems of school capacity, teacher shortage and student placement throughout Portugal are over.

As a matter of fact, at the beginning of the new academic year, the teacher shortage continues to be one of the country's main education problems.

Resources

Renascença — Cristina Nascimento — September 14, 2026

https://rr.pt/noticia/pais/2026/09/14/resolvida-situacao-de-500-alunos-sem-vaga-nas-escolas-publicas-de-lisboa/485438/

RTP / Lusa — 14 September 2026

https://www.rtp.pt/noticias/pais/regresso-as-aulas-do-ensino-basico-marcado-pela-falta-de-professores_n1765262