Portugal: 100,000 teachers fight gov't attack

Public sector workers in Portugal, with teachers in the lead, have opened an impressive fightback struggle against a government attack that threatens both public services and the workers themselves. Following dozens of protests throughout the country, on March 8 some 100,000 of Portugal’s 150,000 teachers marched down one of the main avenues of downtown Lisbon in a massive protest.

Photo : André Levy/Avante

Over the last three years, the Portuguese Socialist Party (PS) government of José Sócrates—which is socialist in name only—has carried out a full blown, broad attack on the public services and public service workers. This includes reducing the network of maternity wards and emergency clinics, and introducing public administration changes called “reforms” that have reduced wages and pensions of government workers.

One of the most targeted sectors is that of public schools. The state budget for schools was cut and thousands of schools closed. These closings increase student commutes and strengthen the forces that are leading to a massive depopulation and aging of the country’s interior.

The government imposed a profound change of school management that erodes the schools’ democratic character. The change replaces school boards with the more powerful figure of the school director and broadens school councils (which determine school policies) to include parents and local businesses, placing teachers and other school workers in the minority.

The minister of education, Maria de Luz Rodrigues, has been set on changing the rules regarding how much time public school teachers work. By counting only class time, she claims that teachers work a low number of hours. This omits class preparation and student evaluation time. One rule requires that teachers spend more time in school performing administrative duties.

The new career structure creates divisions among regular teachers and so-called “titled” teachers with the purpose of limiting the access to higher-level positions. These positions are now subject to quotas. Even long-term teachers with impeccable evaluations may be unable to reach higher-paying positions.

The minister introduced a new teacher evaluation system in the middle of the school year. Teachers will be evaluated by their colleagues and based on student grades. This creates an incentive to inflate grades and an imbalance between teachers in rich and poor socioeconomic districts. All in all, the “reforms” are dictated by administrative and financial priorities, rather than educational and pedagogical aims, aiming to punish teachers and destroy the public schools.

Teachers have not accepted these reforms and have been involved in a continuous mass struggle for more than a year and a half. The government has been inflexible and has attempted to isolate and divide teachers. A massive public relations campaign has characterized teachers as “privileged” public servants and responsible for poor education results. The aim of this campaign is to create a conflict between teachers and other public servants and the general public. Police have harassed unions. Schools have been ordered to keep a record of which teachers strike.

But still, teachers have continued their struggle. The massive March 8 “March of Indignation” had the participation of two-thirds of the professional sector, the most massive protest of any sector in Portugal’s history.

Teachers expressed their indignation at the government’s disrespect and disregard toward teachers and their unions. They waved white handkerchiefs demanding the minister of education resign. They demanded a change in education policies and the renegotiation of the Teacher Career and School Management “reforms.”

The protesters demanded respect for the professional character and union rights of teachers and for academic autonomy and freedom. They demanded measures to promote the quality of education and reduce the levels of unemployment and job insecurity that afflict teachers.

Despite the massive turnout and the impressive show of force and unity, the minister of education downplayed the demonstration and restated her policies. Faced with such stubbornness, teachers have promised to continue their struggle.

André Levy is a correspondent of Avante, the weekly newspaper of the Portuguese Communist Party.