LISBON, Sept. 6 -- Portugal's Education Minister, Fernando Alexandre, admitted on Friday that the new academic year will start with thousands of students without assigned teachers, a situation he described as a "serious failure" in the public education system.

Speaking in Barcelos, Braga district in northern Portugal, Alexandre noted that efforts by the previous government to resolve the issue had likely worsened the problem, but the government is now working on measures to address the shortage, with several initiatives announced recently and more expected next week.

Despite the ongoing efforts, Alexandre acknowledged that the shortage, which has worsened over the past eight years, will not be resolved quickly.

The government aims to reduce the number of students without a teacher by 90 percent this year. Last year, around 20,000 students were without a teacher for at least one subject during the first term.

Alexandre stressed that the solution also lies with school principals, who play a key role in organizing timetables and recruitment.

This announcement follows remarks from Prime Minister Luis Montenegro earlier this week, who expressed concerns that the government could not guarantee full staffing in schools "from one month to the next."

Montenegro emphasized that solving these issues would require a long-term, systemic approach to ensure equal access to education.

  - Xinhua