Education in Portugal

In very general terms, the Portuguese Education System under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education comprises:

• Pre-school education -Not compulsory; offered in "Jardins de Infância" (Kindergarten), either of the public network or private; age group 3/5; general objective: to promote the child's harmonious development of all his/her potential and prepare every child to enter the school system in equal circumstances.
  
• Basic Education -Nine-year compulsory free education; age group 6/14; divided in three Cycles: First Cycle (4 years, one teacher for all subjects); Second Cycle (2 years, one teacher per area of study); Third Cycle (3 years, one teacher per subject or groups of subjects); special attention given to the study of the Portuguese Language, Mathematics and Foreign Languages, one generally initiated in the 2nd Cycle, a second optional in the 3rd Cycle; offered in public or private schools; on completion of this level a Diploma of Basic Education is issued which is a requirement for enrolment in Secondary Education.
  
• Secondary Education -Three-year non-compulsory education; age group 15/17; one teacher per subject; offered in public and private schools; on completion of this level, a Certificate of Secondary Education is issued, which is one of the requirement for enrolment in Higher Education; a Certificate of Vocational Qualification, Level III is also awarded to some students, as described below, enabling them to enter active life.
  
• Higher Education -Offered in Universities (public or private) and in Polytechnic Institutes; according to the different institutions and to the years of study, the following degrees are obtained: "bacharelato" (3 years), "licenciatura" (4 to 6 Years), Masters degree and Doctoral degree.

Education System Act No. 46, approved by the Portuguese Parliament in 1986 and commonly called The Education System Framework Law, established, among all the other components of an educational system, the objectives and organisation of Secondary Education. This Act was progressively completed by additional regulamentation. Secondary Education as defined in Act No. 46 was progressively implemented, co-existing with the old organisation for some years; the first year of full universal implementation was the school year 1995/96.

Secondary Education is not yet compulsory. It comes as a natural sequence of a nine-year curriculum- unified compulsory and free Basic Education. According to the objectives established, this education level aims at completing and deepening knowledge acquired at Basic Education level, at the same time preparing students either to proceed studies in Higher Education or to enter active life.

Secondary Education, typically attended by youths of the 15/17 age group, is organised as a three-year cycle corresponding to the 10th, 11th and 12th years of schooling. It is provided in Secondary Schools.

Regular Secondary Education comprises:

1. General Courses (essentially oriented to the continuation of studies);
   
2. Technological Courses (essentially oriented to entry in active life).

As an alternative to Regular Secondary Education the "Escolas Profissionais" (Vocational Training Schools) offer 3-year vocational courses in areas generally corresponding to educational needs of the economic and social region where they function. They may be public or private; in fact they are frequently set up on a private initiative basis.

On the completion of Regular Secondary Education, a Certificate of Secondary Studies is conferred to students

1. Who enrolled in General Courses;
   
2. Who enrolled in Technological Courses,

This Certificate is one of the requirements for entrance in Higher Education provided either in Universities (typically students from General Courses) or Polytechnic Institutes.

To students who enrolled on Technological Courses or in Vocational Training Schools a Diploma of Level III Vocational Qualification is also awarded, allowing them to enter the labour market as intermediate technicians.

The General and Technological Courses of Secondary Education are organised in four major areas ("agrupamentos")

1. Natural Sciences
   
2. Arts
   
3. Social Sciences and Economics
   
4. Humanities

The general component is compulsory for all students and includes:

• Portuguese language
  
• Foreign Language
  
• Introduction to Philosophy
  
• Physical Education
  
• Personal and Social Development or Moral and Religious Education (Catholic or any other confession)

The technical component also varies according to the major area chosen by the student and should be articulated with the subjects of the specific component.

In the General Courses the specific component has a higher workload.
In Technological Courses the technical component has a higher workload.

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Assessment
There are three types of student assessment per subject:

• formative assessment, carried out by teachers together with other school services (like the guidance service) which has no purpose other than informing students and parents and bettering the support and guidance services; it takes a qualitative form.
  
• summative assessment (internal), the joint responsibility of teachers on the class board ("Conselho de Turma"), intended to inform students and parents on the students achievement of curricular goals and to provide the basis for decisions on his/her school "career"; this type of assessment takes in account not only the formative assessment all during the school year but also the grades obtained in tests prepared by each individual school ("Provas Globais") in the 10th and 11th grades.

• Summative assessment (external) happens at the end of the 12th year and takes the form of a national-wide test by subject (Exame de âmbito nacional). Students of General Courses take this final test in the subjects of the general and specific components (except Physical Education and Moral and Religious Education). Students of Technological Courses take this final test in all the subjects of the general and of the specific component as well as, at least, in one technical subject. The final grading of subjects examined at national level is calculated as the weighted average of the final grade obtained in the years the subject was taught (7) and the grade obtained in the final national test (3).
  
• The final grade of a Secondary Education Course, as it appears on the Certificate issued, is the simple arithmetic mean of the final grades obtained in all subjects of the syllabus.

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Parallel to the above-described system for which the Ministry of Education is responsible, there are other training opportunities, offered by the Ministry of Labour and Solidarity (although in collaboration with the Ministry of Education).

As regards Initial Vocational Training, we should mention the Vocational Training Centres run by the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP) and also the Jointly managed Vocational Training Centres which arose out of agreements signed between IEFP and representatives of regional bodies or sectors of activity (normally trade union or employers´ associations).

In the case of the Apprenticeship System (Alternance-based Initial Training), offered to youths after the normal compulsory education age (15 to 25 years of age), courses may be organised by state or private organisations, such as firms and employers´ associations, trade unions, local authorities and so on. These courses provide skill training to first job seekers that are not covered by the legal provision related to schooling and wish to obtain a professional qualification to enter the labour market.

There are three types of courses:

• Level 1 courses - mainly of a guidance nature and aiming at a later entry in Level II Apprenticeship courses.
  
• Level II courses - for those who completed 9-year Basic Education or those who, not having the Basic Education Diploma, are still able to attend a course and obtain a professional qualification. On completion of these courses a Level II Vocational Certificate is awarded. In the case of those not having the Basic Education Diploma this Certificate confers equivalence to the 3rd cycle of Basic Education.
  
• Level III courses - for those who completed Basic or Secondary Education without any professional qualification. On completion of these courses a Level III Vocational Certificate is issued. In the case of those not having completed their Secondary Education, this Certificate confers equivalence to Secondary Education.