Four universities will offer 1,036 places on in-service teacher training courses, with the courses starting in October.
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Author: Redaction
Training offered by four institutions
Universidade Aberta, the University of Lisbon and the polytechnic universities of Beja and Setúbal will offer 1,036 places for in-service teacher training. The courses are aimed at teachers with degrees in the scientific fields of the subjects they teach but without pedagogical training.
The courses are funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI) through agreements representing a total investment of €5.5 million.
Universidade Aberta has the largest number of places, with 672. This is followed by the University of Lisbon, with 181, Beja Polytechnic, with 98, and Setúbal Polytechnic, with 85 places.
Most places have already been filled
The courses are expected to begin in October and, according to MECI, around 80% of the available places have already been filled. The duration varies according to teachers’ professional experience.
Teachers with less than five years of service will have to complete a two-year course. For those with more than five years of experience, in-service training will last one year.
The opening of these places provides an opportunity for teachers who recently entered the teaching profession through extraordinary recruitment schemes for candidates with recognised teaching qualifications.
Teachers can complete pedagogical training
Over the past two years, thousands of teachers have entered the teaching profession through a scheme allowing teachers without professional qualifications to join the career. Their appointment was conditional on completing the required pedagogical training within the established timeframe.
In the 2024/2025 extraordinary external recruitment process, 1,822 teachers entered the teaching profession, 893 of whom did not have pedagogical training. The following year, 1,639 teachers were appointed, including 697 with recognised teaching qualifications.
In-service training therefore allows these teachers to obtain the necessary qualifications while continuing to work in schools.
More training to address teacher shortages
The measure also comes amid a shortage of teachers and a need to strengthen the qualifications of professionals already working in the education system.
The investment aims to ensure that teachers with provisional appointments can complete their training within the established timeframe. In-service training is one of the routes available to obtain the professional qualification required to enter the teaching profession.
The new provision also seeks to address the shortage of places that has made it difficult for some teachers to access pedagogical training in recent years. In 2025, 300 places had already been agreed with Universidade Aberta, but demand continued to exceed the available provision.
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