The government of Tarcisio de Freitas (Republic) granted, on average, 95 sick days per day to teachers with mental health-related disorders, between January and September of this year. These data are part of a survey conducted by the Centro do Professorado Paulista (CPP) association, based on official information from the state administration.
The organization requested, through the Access to Information (LAI) Act, the number of medical licenses related to mental and behavioral disorders authorized for the category after medical experience.
The response to the application, sent by the government’s Directorate of Medical Expertise (DPME), reveals the high impact scenario of mental health issues among teachers.
What the poll says
- According to the DPME, 25,699 licenses were issued between the beginning of the year and September, for issues related to the mental health of permanent and regular teachers – public employees.
- In total, there were 911,634 days of furlough – an average of 35 days per request. The data does not include requests for temporary teachers.
- In all of 2024, 42,155 licenses were approved. The applications generated 1,344,442 days of leave – an average of 31 days per leave granted.
- The survey also shows that the region with the highest number of leaves of absence is Greater São Paulo. In 2025, there were 13,534 licenses. The Campinas region came in second place with 3,356 licenses.
The CPP says the data shows “the emotional stress teachers face” and says there is a lack of prevention policies.
The association’s general director, Alessandro Soares, said in a statement, “These numbers are an alarm bell. Teachers get sick every day.”
Also in a memorandum, the Ministry of Education said it is monitoring health indicators of network staff, in partnership with DPME, and says it has improved prevention and care measures for teachers.
“Seduc-SP highlights that contemporary challenges of education, such as post-pandemic transformations, responsible integration of technologies into the school environment and new pedagogical and social requirements, have brought new challenges to teachers. By focusing on the appreciation and well-being of network professionals, Pasta promotes welcoming, listening and prevention policies.”
The note says that since 2024, CGRH has provided a teleservice in psychology and psychiatry, ensuring individual support for network professionals. According to the Ministry, as of October 31 of this year, more than 650,000 services of this type had been provided.
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