More than 50 teachers from the district of Porto gathered, this Tuesday night, in front of the Constantino Nery Municipal Theatre, where the Prime Minister, António Costa, participated in a debate about housing
Credits: JN
Teachers demand "to be heard" by António Costa, said in statements to the Lusa agency, Vladimiro Campos, a teacher in the Schools Grouping of Cerco do Porto.
"The government has said it listens to us, but from listening to go to the negotiating table, negotiate, is a big difference," said Vladimiro Campos, a teacher for 22 years.
Among the demands, Vladimiro Campos highlighted the need for the teaching class to have "per diems" when placed in schools far from their homes, as well as to see their careers updated.
"After almost 50 years, I'm still in the 4th grade, earning a thousand and a few euros. That's not what I had in mind. I have two children and no prospects for the future," he said, adding that teachers are a professional class "badly treated.
"There is no respect," she noted, saying that teachers "have reached a limit."
Also to Lusa, Susana Bento, a teacher at the Abel Salazar School Grouping, in Matosinhos, said that the class is "fed up with the Minister [of Education] lying.
"We have to say enough is enough," said Susana Bento, a teacher for nearly 30 years. And she added: "We are witnessing this degradation of the public school and only the government can reverse this.
At the site, the deputy secretary-general of the PS, João Torres, tried, representing the party, to calm the teachers.
"For the PS the valorization of teachers and the teaching career is a very important aspect and that is why the Government has achieved dialogue and negotiations with the fundamental objective of mitigating the precariousness that is felt by the teachers of our country and also in order to end the paradigm of the house on one's back," said João Torres.
While João Torres tried to calm the teachers, they continued to chant: "Costa, listen, the school is in struggle".
Although they tried to be heard by António Costa, the Prime Minister did not approach the demonstrators and immediately went into the theater.