Teachers launch paper planes and distribute postcards at Porto airport

This Saturday, dozens of teachers launched paper planes at the Porto airport and handed out welcome cards to tourists to announce that Portugal is great to visit but mistreats teachers.

“Portugal is a great place to visit, a terrible place to live” (Portugal, beautiful country, terrible to live), “SOS Portuguese schools in danger” (SOS Portuguese schools in danger), “Professor forced to emigrate in 2023”, “No to kill the government school”, “Education is the responsibility of the state, it is not an option”, “Welcome from a country where teachers become slaves”, “Portuguese teachers demand a better public school” (Portuguese teachers demand better public schools) were some of the phrases written on the posters , which were shown by about 30 teachers at a protest near the Sa Carneiro airport, in Maia, Porto area.

Speaking to Lusa, Joaquina Carvalho, a teacher and supporter of the PEP movement – public school teachers – explained that the paper planes were launched at 6:23 am (afternoon) as a symbolic act “due to six years, six months and 23 days that have not were reinstated for career advancement and retirement.”

Tourists arriving in the afternoon from Vienna (Austria), Carcassonne (France), Düsseldorf (Germany), Zurich (Switzerland), Lyon (France) or Geneva (Switzerland) will receive greeting cards with phrases in Portuguese, French, English and Spanish.

“Hello, I am the Minister of Education. You know that in Mafra you can visit Mafra National Palace. Just 840 meters away, there are two overcrowded schools with not enough teachers to teach so many students! they were stolen in 6 years, 6 months and 23 days? Or because they didn’t advance in their careers? Or because they are immersed in roles? ”- read the phrase that could be read in the welcome card.

Carlein Barthel, a Dutch tourist who came north to surf, enjoy the sun and enjoy the quiet life of Espinho, received a welcome card in English and told Lusa that the Netherlands has the same teacher shortage problem.

“There are also teachers in Holland who are fighting for rights and salaries, because there are not enough teachers who are looking for other professions with higher pay,” said Karlijn Barthel.

They distributed several hundred greeting cards in Portuguese, French, English and Spanish, and now dozens on paper, which will be launched at 6:23 am due to six years, six months and 23 days that have not been reinstated for career advancement and for reform, Joaquín Carvalho, supporter of the organization.

“The united school will never be defeated” and “the government is listening, the school is fighting”, “we are not stopping, we are not stopping, we are not stopping, we are not stopping” – there were phrases – the demonstrators shouted.

To take into account the state of the country they arrive in, which is very attractive for tourism, but which does not guarantee the boundlessness of education in the country, despite all signs of the seriousness of the situation, and which has been mobilizing teachers for months. but not heard in practice.

Fatima Gomes, a Portuguese high school teacher in the Barcelos school group, in turn, said that there are many mobilized colleagues in the North who did not come to protest this Saturday because they are preparing a protest to be held on Sunday at the Jardim do Palacio de Cristal in Porto, where PS will celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Teachers continue their round of strikes by county, which began this Monday.

The teachers’ strike by districts will last until May 12 and will cover all districts of the country in reverse alphabetical order (from Viseu to Aveiro). Each wrestling day is expected to start at 12:00 noon with no minimum service. put into effect.

Instead of an 18 working day strike notice, each of the nine organizations submits a strike notice for each day of struggle.