National Education Council recommends salary increases and more autonomy for schools – Society

The National Education Council (CNE) recommends an increase in teachers’ salaries and more autonomy for schools to select teachers as two of the ways to make the profession more attractive and combat the lack of professionals.

In a recommendation, published this Tuesday in Diário da República, the advisory body makes a set of recommendations to counter the phenomenon of teacher shortages, which “is global and worrying”: In Europe alone, the problem “affects 35 European systems” .

Portugal is no exception and, according to a 2021 study, it was necessary to hire more than 30 thousand teachers by 2030 to guarantee the normal functioning of schools.

The CNE advisors therefore present a set of recommendations addressed to various recipients, from “the government, professional associations, training centers of school associations, school directors, training institutions, trainers, training managers and teachers”.

The rapporteurs argue that to make the profession more attractive it is necessary to improve working conditions and “promote the review of remuneration rates at the beginning of a career and progression conditions, proximity to the area of ​​residence and support for travel and accommodation”.

“Revisiting the teacher recruitment and selection model in light of greater school autonomy, within a national reference framework, depending on the specificities and needs of each context” is another of the CNE’s recommendations.

The recommendations published this Tuesday are grouped into four main axes: valuing the profession; continuous formation; conditions for exercising the profession and teaching professionalism.

Regarding ongoing training, the rapporteurs defend measures such as the need to rethink the initial training model, reinforce existing training or create partnerships between higher education institutions and schools for the training of future teachers

The CNE also makes five recommendations on the conditions for exercising the profession, arguing that personal and professional stability is necessary but it is also necessary to reduce eminently bureaucratic and administrative tasks.

The eight recommendations on teaching professionalism range from the importance of solid initial training at a higher level, to creating conditions for professional autonomy and implementing mentoring and pedagogical supervision programs promoting dynamics of collaboration, reflection, innovation and research into practices.

These recommendations were based on international reports, national legislation and “a set of fifteen hearings with national and foreign personalities”, the document reads.