Many public schools and kindergartens in mainland Portugal may open late, run with fewer staff or close on Monday, 19 October 2026, because of a national 24-hour strike of non-teaching school staff. If your child goes to a public school, check before you leave them at the gate.
What is happening
Two unions, SINAPE (Sindicato Nacional dos Profissionais da Educação) and STMO (Sindicato Nacional dos Trabalhadores do Estado, das Autarquias e de Entidades com Fins Públicos e Sociais), have called the strike for the whole day, from 00:00 to 24:00. It covers operational assistants (the staff who open buildings, watch pupils and help in canteens), technical assistants in school offices, specialised technicians and senior technicians.
Both strike notices appear on the public list of strikes reported to the Directorate-General for Public Administration and Employment (DGAEP). The STMO notice covers non-teaching staff in school clusters across mainland Portugal, including public education settings run by Misericórdias and IPSS charities. According to the unions’ notices, as reported by Executive Digest, no minimum services are planned.
Will my child’s school close?
Nobody knows yet. Workers do not have to say in advance whether they will strike, so each school only finds out on Monday morning. Filinto Lima, who heads the public school directors’ association ANDAEP, told Rádio Comercial that “some schools” may close, mostly pre-school and 1st-cycle (primary) schools, and that he expects less impact than the 2 October strike. He advised parents to go to the school before the usual start time on Monday to see whether it is open.
Several school clusters have already warned families. The Lousã cluster, for example, says normal running and its school offices may be affected and that it will tell parents on the day. The Terras de Larus cluster in Seixal says classes may not happen and some schools may close, and explains how parents can cancel booked school meals by 09:00 on the day.
What to do
- Check tonight: read messages from the school, the school cluster’s website (agrupamento de escolas) and your class or parents’ group.
- On Monday morning, go with your child and confirm the school is open and safe before you leave them. Do not leave young children at a closed gate.
- Have a back-up plan for childcare, and if you may need to stay home, tell your employer as early as you can.
- School meals: if your municipality or school lets you cancel a booked meal, check its deadline (in some places it is 09:00 the same day).
- School office tasks such as enrolment papers or certificates may be delayed that day, so plan them for another day if you can.
Teachers: a separate, narrower notice
The teachers’ federation FENPROF has a separate strike notice for 19 to 24 October. It targets overtime and extra duties outside teachers’ timetables, such as some meetings and compulsory training, not a full stoppage of lessons.
New to Portuguese schools? Our guide on enrolling your child mid-year explains how school clusters work.
Key date
- Monday, 19 October 2026, 00:00–24:00: national strike of non-teaching school staff (SINAPE and STMO). No minimum services announced.
- 19–24 October 2026: FENPROF notice on teachers’ overtime and extra duties.
Sources
- DGAEP – strikes reported to the Directorate-General (official)
- STMO strike notice for 19 October 2026 (published by Agrupamento de Escolas de Pombal)
- Rádio Comercial – Nova greve pode fechar “algumas escolas” na segunda-feira
- Executive Digest – Greve de não docentes na segunda-feira (16 Oct 2026)
- Agrupamento de Escolas da Lousã – Pré-aviso de greve 19-10-2026 and Agrupamento de Escolas Terras de Larus – Anúncio de greve
- FENPROF – strike notice on overtime and extra duties, 19–24 October 2026
Last updated: 18 October 2026. Link in Portugal is an independent news site, not a government service. Check with your child’s school for the final word on Monday.
