This Review of Inclusive Education in Portugal was conducted as part of OECD’s Strength through Diversity project (see Annex A for further details). The purpose of the review is to support Portuguese authorities in identifying ways to improve equity and inclusion in the education system (i.e., the extent to which it promotes the inclusion of diverse learners).

This Review of Inclusive Education in Portugal was conducted as part of the OECD Strength through Diversity project. Based on the project’s framework, it analyses how to promote inclusive education in Portugal through dedicated policies and practices in the following areas: governance, resourcing, capacity building, school-level interventions, and monitoring and evaluation. The analysis presented refers to the situation faced by the Portuguese education system in 2021, when the review team held a series of meetings with stakeholders and visited schools in mainland Portugal. The most recent statistical data in the report reflect the situation during the 2019/2020 school year, although some data are from previous school years.

In the past three decades, the Portuguese education system has witnessed significant improvements. The share of 25-64 years-olds in Portugal who completed at least secondary education increased from 20% in 1992 to 47% in 2016 and 55% in 2019. The upper secondary out-of-school rate decreased from 17% in 2005 to less than 1% in 2019, the lowest rate among OECD countries. In addition, at least 90% of the students aged 4 to 17 were enrolled in education in 2019, while in 2010, at least 90% of the students aged 4 to 14 were enrolled in education. Furthermore, 15-year‑old students in Portugal saw significant improvements in their reading, mathematics and science abilities as measured by the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) between 2006 and 2015, although there was a slight decrease in reading and science in 2018. In reading, the score increased from 472 in 2006 to 496 in 2015 and 492 in 2018; in mathematics, it increased from 466 in 2006 to 492 in 2015 and remained stable in 2018; in science it increased from 474 to 501 in 2015 but decreased to 492 in 2018. In 2018, the score of Portuguese students was close to the OECD average in all subjects. However, the Portuguese education system still faces considerable challenges. For example, grade repetition is a major concern in Portugal. In PISA 2018, 26.6% of 15-year-old students reported having repeated a grade at least once in either primary or secondary education, which places the country considerably above the OECD average of 11%. There are also significant variations between regions. For instance, in 2019 there were on average 7.9% early school leavers in the Centre, but 19.9% in the Algarve.

This chapter provides an overview of the main elements of the Portuguese education system in relation to diversity, equity and inclusion. The chapter first depicts the structure of the education system and the organisation of the school offering, highlighting core features for equity and inclusion. It then proceeds to analyse trends in the performance of students in Portugal over the last decade, as well as the challenges faced and improvements made by the Portuguese education system. In conclusion, the chapter analyses the characteristics, outcomes and challenges of some diverse student groups relevant to the Portuguese context, namely students with an immigrant background, Roma students and students with special education needs.

This chapter is about the governance and resourcing of inclusive education in Portugal. It analyses the country’s educational goals for diversity, equity and inclusion; the curriculum; the regulatory framework; the responsibilities and administration and the resourcing of inclusive education. Portugal started focusing on inclusion in education in the 1970s. It has developed one of the most comprehensive legal frameworks for inclusive education. The country has made significant efforts to respond to the needs of all students and grant more flexibility and autonomy to local actors. Many programmes and resources are now available to support equity and inclusion. However, challenges remain regarding the management of these resources and the administration of inclusive education. Also, the system is still mainly orientated towards the inclusion of students with special education needs. The chapter provides recommendations to overcome these challenges and strengthen the governance and resourcing of inclusive education.

This chapter examines the policy area of developing capacity for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in education in Portugal. Three broad aspects are analysed: building awareness of diversity in education; initial teacher preparation and continuous professional learning; and recruitment, retention and evaluation of teachers. Recently, Portugal has implemented progressive measures aimed at addressing diversity among students and providing support for teachers and broader personnel to develop and improve their professional practice through initiatives such as the National Strategy for Citizenship Education (ENEC), the National Strategy for Equality and Non-Discrimination (ENIND), the National Roma Communities Integration Strategy (ENICC), and Teacher Training Centres affiliated to school clusters that provide tailored professional learning. However, important challenges remain, including inadequate continuous professional learning for diversity, equity and inclusion and a narrow view of diversity largely focused on students with special education needs (SEN). This chapter makes several policy recommendations to address these challenges.

This chapter examines ways in which Portugal’s commitment to respond to student diversity by promoting equity and inclusion in education is reflected in practices and organisational arrangements at the school level. It argues that, while there is widespread commitment to these principles across the education system, practices in schools vary considerably. There are, however, examples of effective practices that can be built upon. Attempts to address these challenges point to the importance of providing powerful forms of professional learning that will support the promotion of inclusive practices. In addition, there is need for professional learning opportunities for those in leadership roles within schools. There is a lack of local area coordination of efforts to mobilise the potential that exists in order to create a more effective middle tier. There is also a need to strengthen strategies for monitoring and evaluating the implementation and impact of policies.