The lack of teachers (particularly in areas where rents are at their highest: viz. Lisbon/ Algarve) has led municipalities to start thinking outside the box.
Two town halls (Grândola and Santiago de Cacém), both in the Alentejo, have started offering teachers free accommodation, reveals Correio da Manhã today, explaining that Santiago’s São Domingos primary school has just nine pupils, but no teacher (remember, term time started well over a month ago…) The solution seems to have come following a meeting between the school grouping, parents and the local parish council, which “made a home available”.
A teacher has since responded to the vacancy advertised over social media (citing the attraction of ‘free accommodation’) and São Domingos primary school is finally on track to get its teacher.
“This could be a way of attracting people to these areas”, said the director of the school grouping, Alexandra Gonçalves.
A similar conclusion has come in nearby Grândola, where successive calls for teachers went unanswered. Mayor Luís Vital Alexandre tells CM that the town hall “has decided to advance with free accommodation”. In fact, it “is developing regulations with a view to creating Strategic Housing Support for professionals in critical areas. Not just teaching/ education, but health (doctors/ nurses etc.), security (police) and civil protection (firefighters, etc.)
“This support will make municipal housing available with accessible rents, as well as support for the rental market. Professionals who benefit from the support will have their rent calculated according to their financial and family circumstances,” he said.
The measure is receiving the thumbs-up from other school directors, says CM. Rui Cardoso, director of the Viso school grouping, in Viseu, agrees that it is “very good that schools start working with municipalities in this aspect, although it will be difficult for this to work in Lisbon…”
FENPROF (the national teaching federation) is also enthusiastic, but has said the plan may not be enough from a long-term, or structural point of view.
For now, at least, it shows a willingness for authorities to find solutions to a problem that shows no sign of going away anytime soon.
Source: Correio da Manhã
Natasha Donn
Journalist for the Portugal Resident.