LISBON, March 8, 2008 (AFP) - More than half of Portugal's 140,000 teachers turned out Saturday for a demonstration in Lisbon against government education reforms, the domestic Lusa news agency reported.

The turnout of 80,000 teachers -- a figure drawn from organisers and police -- dwarfed that of regional, but almost daily protests throughout the country over changes affecting career management.

With support from left- and right-wing opposition parliamentarians, the teachers called for the resignation of Education Minister Maria de Lurdes Rodrigues, who they accused of turning schools 'against the teachers'.

They are opposed to the introduction of performance evaluation which will take into account pupil feedback and which they say will put an extra burden on their workload.

'This system does nothing to evaluate teachers. Rather, it serves to put the brakes on their development,' one marcher was quoted as saying, arguing that the reforms are economically-motivated.

The education minister, who has received full support from Prime Minister Jose Socrates, has to date shown no signs of back-tracking on the proposals.