Education

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Education
In Portugal, schooling is currently compulsory from the age of 6 to 15, although the upper age is set to rise so that young people will be compelled to be in some sort of educational or training setting until the age of 18.
• Home Education
Home education is permissible under Portuguese law, provided that children sit the twice-term tests at their local school. It is permissible to home educate for a number of academic years and then (re)-enter the system.

• Pre-school Education
Children have the option of attending pre-school from the age of 3 to 6
• Basic Education
Basic education from age 6 is compulsory. Provision is universal and free of charge. However, textbooks and all writing art and art materials etc. have to be provided by the parents/educational guardians (encarregados de educação).

Basic education consists of 3 cycles:

1st Cycle (Escola primária)
The 1st cycle of school lasts for 4 years (usually ages 6yrs-10 yrs). The children are taught by one class teacher for all subjects, who may or may not change from one year to the next. Primary schools can sometimes be found still operational in the smaller villages of the concelho, if population and finances allow.
2nd Cycle (Escola básica do Segundo ciclo)
The 2nd cycle lasts for 2 years (usually ages 10yrs-12yrs). Schooling is now organised into different subject areas with subject-specific teachers. The 2nd and 3rd cycles are ususally housed in the same school building.
3rd Cycle (Escola básica do terceiro ciclo)
The 3rd cycle lasts for 3 years (usually ages 12yrs -15yrs). This is more or less a continuation of the 2nd cycle although it purports to include ‘diversified vocational areas’.

At the end of Year 9, if pupils pass the required tests, they acquire the Diploma of Basic Eduacation.
N.B. In the Portuguese system pupils are assessed throughout the school year from Year 1 onwards. If at the end of the year they have not met the required standards of achievement, they must repeat the year.
Enrolment (Matriculação)
Enrolment for school-starters takes place from the beginning of January until September of the calendar year in which the child has his/her 6th birthday.

At the end of every school year children must be matriculated through the school, after the end of the summer term, for the following year. This entails a meeting of the encarregado with the form teacher (director de turma) to sign the necessary papers. (This is, in effect, a re-enrolment for each year – a very different concept from UK schools).

Incomers to an area can enrol their children at any time into Basic Education. (However, any change of school should be made between September and Christmas.) Initial enrolment requires:

• A written request (preferably in Portuguese).
• Child’s birth certificate
• Proof of identity of the child (usually passport).
• A completed enrolment form from the school.
• Health/vaccination record. (If you prefer your child to be unvaccinated, the school should accept a statement signed to that effect from the encarregado.)

N.B. If your child has already been attending school in another country, the new school will want to see the most recent school report, possibly translated into Portuguese, and officially stamped by the British Embassy.

By law, the child will be allocated to the school year equivalent to the number of years that s/he has already completed in the school system of their former country. This means that a child from the UK, who has started school before their 5th birthday, can be placed with children 1 or 2 years older. However, there is provision in the law for a child to be assigned to a lower year when that child is not a native Portuguese speaker. The request for this should be made in writing to the head teacher of the school.

Term times
The school year runs from mid-September to mid-June, with two-week breaks at Christmas and Easter. In February, there is usually a holiday of 3 days for Carnival. Otherwise, only Public Holidays are taken.
N.B. Schools in Portugal take the matter of attendance very seriously. If a pupil misses a class they receive a ‘falta’ (absence). These faltas should be ‘justified’ by the encarregado (eg illness, visit to dentist etc) but only certain reasons are accepted as reasonable justifications. ‘Unjustified’ faltas can mean that the pupil faces extra testing in the subjects s/he misses, and may even jeopardise the passing of the year. If a pupil is too unwell to attend school, they are expected to go to the doctor and get a sick note.

School hours
In the 1st cycle pupils receive 25 hours of compulsory classes, meaning that school normally starts at 9am and ends at around 3.20pm. However, most children stay at school until 5pm for extra-curricular classes. These classes are not compulsory, although it is often the only opportunity for children to have art, I.T. or P.E. classes. It is also often expected that children will stay after school for the support (apoio) classes on offer. It is possible for children to remain at school up until 6pm for free-time activities (actividades de tempos livres –ATL) where they will be supervised until collection.
In the 2nd and 3rd cycles the pupils have approximately 30 hours of classes. School usually starts at 8.30am and may continue until 5pm, with various intervals. Students are sometimes required to take extra support (apoio) classes in subjects they find difficult. School usually finishes earlier on one day of the week (usually Wednesday). Free extracurricular activities (actividades de enriquemento) such as clubs and sporting activities, are sometimes held after school.
N.B. Pupils in all cycles will only be allowed out of school before 5pm if they have written permission from their encarregado.
Home/School communication
In the first cycle, the child’s teacher establishes a time during the week when parents may come and speak to her or him about any concerns. Each child also has a ‘Caderneta do aluno’ (personal notebook) in which messages from parent to teacher and vice versa can be written.
In the 2nd and 3rd cycles pupils have a form teacher (director de turma) who should also make her/himself available at a certain hour of the week.
At least once a term the class teacher/director de turmo will arrange a meeting with the pupil’s encarregado to discuss the pupil’s progress, test results etc. This often takes place at the end of term, and is obligatory.

• Secondary education

Secondary education lasts for 3 years (usually ages 15yrs-18yrs) and is for pupils who have completed their basic education. Secondary schools are found in the larger towns, sometimes with the 3rd cycle years. Students completing their secondary education receive a Diploma of Secondary Education.
The courses offered at the level of secondary education are divided into:

• General courses in the sciences and humanities, for students wishing to take an academic course with a view to entering higher education;
• Technological and vocational courses, for students wishng to gain a vocational qualification (level 3) and/or proceed to specialised technological courses;
• Specialised artistic courses, providing vocational preparation in the visual arts, dance and music.