Portugal extends smartphone ban to 9th grade, overhauls teacher hiring and delays secondary school start

Smartphone ban extended to 9th grade

The Council of Ministers approved an amendment to the Student Statute on 30 July 2026, extending the prohibition of smartphone use in schools to the 7th, 8th and 9th grades. The ban currently covers only the 1st and 2nd cycles (1st to 6th grade). Schools will have the first term of the 2026/2027 school year, until December, to adapt their internal regulations, with the ban taking full effect on 1 January 2027. Exceptions remain for students with duly proven health conditions.

Minister of Education Fernando Alexandre said the decision was based on the international trend and a new survey of school directors by PLANAPP (Centre for Planning and Public Policy Evaluation). In schools where phones were already completely banned, socialisation among students increased by 36% compared with schools without restrictions; where partial restrictions were applied, the improvement was 16%. Discipline improved by 13% in phone-free schools and by 9% in those with partial limits. Last school year, 52% of 3rd-cycle schools had already voluntarily banned smartphones and 82% had imposed some form of restriction.

The harmful effects on the development of children and young people are today more than evident, they are scientifically proven.

To support the transition, the government is preparing a reform of school outdoor spaces and has reinforced the hiring of 1,406 specialised technicians, around half of whom are psychologists.

Teacher recruitment overhaul

A new teacher recruitment and placement model was approved, introducing a continuous competition procedure designed to place teachers more quickly and efficiently. From the 2027/2028 school year, two specific procedures will operate: an internal and an external one to fill permanent needs in the system, and a continuous one enabling daily placement of teachers. The model is part of the ongoing revision of the Teaching Career Statute, which has been under negotiation with trade unions since last year.

It will solve the long periods when students are without teachers, when a teacher retires or takes sick leave.

Secondary school start delayed

Secondary school classes will begin on 21 September 2026, one week later than originally planned. Fernando Alexandre linked the postponement to the overload of teachers who are grading national exams. The Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation is still evaluating whether 3rd-cycle students will also have their start date changed. Over 20,000 requests for exam review have been submitted, three times the number from the previous year, raising fears of delays in publishing results.

Other measures approved

The government updated funding for special education and private school contracts. Special education private establishments will receive 13.8 million euros for the 2026/2027 school year, a 10% increase following a 40% rise the previous year. Association contracts, which cover private schools where the public network is insufficient, were updated by 2.1%, setting the value at 90,000 euros per class per year, with seven additional classes. Total funding for these contracts will be 50.5 million euros over three years (2026/2027 to 2028/2029), up 4.3% from the 48.4 million approved in 2025.

A simplification of teaching qualification recognition was also approved: a degree in a given scientific area now qualifies the holder to teach that subject. For example, a graduate in Economics may teach Economics, and a Psychology graduate may teach Psychology, which was not previously permitted. The government further approved a revision of the Inclusive Education Legal Framework, clarifying concepts and creating a National System of Support for Inclusion and the role of an inclusion support manager. The inclusive education system currently covers about 100,000 students in Portugal.