The Geography teacher, who was removed from the classroom while the process is ongoing, reportedly made comments against immigrants, such as “they should go to your homeland”, “I am originally Portuguese”, and immigrants are “ruining Portugal and using our resources”.
The Ministry of Education is monitoring the investigation process initiated by the school on a teacher accused of hate speechconfirmed the guardianship today, adding that it will then be up to the school to decide whether to initiate disciplinary proceedings.
“The group’s director initiated an investigation process with a view to collecting information and establishing the facts, a procedure that is being monitored by the General Inspectorate of Education and Science (IGEC)”, said the minister’s office Fernando Alexandrein response to Lusa.
At issue is the case, reported today by the newspaper, of a teacher at Fernando Lopes Graça school, in Paredemunicipality of Cascais, which is the subject of an investigation process following complaints from guardians regarding alleged discriminatory comments in the classroom.
According to Público, the Geography teacher, meanwhile away from the classroom while the process is taking place, he will have made comments against immigrants such as “they should go to your land”, “I am Portuguese by origin”, and immigrants are “ruining Portugal and using our resources”.
Faced with what was described as a worsening situation, some parents planned boycott classes if the teacher continued teaching, says Público.
One of the complaints collected by the newspaper has to do with the alleged use, in the classroom, of a teacher’s personal blog, that students would be required to view, in which explicit messages are posted against immigration and Islam.
Among the content found there is sharing of material produced by Chega and laudatory references to statements by the former PNR leader about what he described as a “migratory scourge“.
Asked whether IGEC had opened an investigation into the case, the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation said that, once the investigation process was completed, It will then be up to the school management “evaluate the need to initiate or not initiate disciplinary proceedings”. In its response to Lusa, the guardianship did not confirm that it was aware of other identical cases.
To the Observatory of School Coexistence, created in 2024 by teachers and guardians, No complaints were ever filed against teachers for alleged hate speech.
“We have not received complaints about racial and discriminatory issuesbut we have already received complaints about intolerance, in general, on the part of teachers”, reported Mariana Carvalhopresident of the National Confederation of Parents’ Associations (Confap).
Mariana Carvalho admits, however, that the increase in hate speech in society can reflected in the school contexteven though there is no record of formal complaints.
“In relation to the students, we have to act preventively”, defended the parents’ representative, concerned about the repercussion of hate speech on social media, shared by digital influencers followed by younger people.
In addition to controlling content of this nature on the Internet, Mariana Carvalho highlighted the need to raise awareness among students and the educational community.
“When this type of situation happens, we have to act to find out – it is important to find out, because sometimes there can be misunderstandings – and, if there are conclusions, act and remove the professionalwhether teacher or employee”, he concluded.
