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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LISBON 001672 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR ECA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/08/2016 
TAGS: SCUL PGOV PO
SUBJECT: PORTUGUESE EDUCATION: FROM SALAZAR TO SOCRATES 
 
Classified By: Matt Harrington, Pol/Econ Counselor, State Department 
Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. (U) Even more than thirty years after the Salazar 
dictatorship, Portugal's education system lags so far behind 
other EU countries that its economic progress has been 
significantly affected.  High dropout rates and lack of 
resulting qualifications have meant lost growth potential for 
the Portuguese economy.  The Socrates Administration has 
proposed and implemented many reforms, some of them 
contentious, to address these problems, and anticipates that 
the Portuguese education system and economy will be 
competitive with most EU members within the next 20 years. 
End summary. 
 
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AN ALARMING DROPOUT RATE 
------------------------ 
 
¶2. (U) In 1974, when a military coup brought down the 
dictatorship in then-agrarian Portugal, 40% of Portuguese 
were functionally illiterate.  Formal education was 
discouraged under Salazar, and the state encouraged technical 
and agricultural training.  Although Portuguese education has 
improved significantly in the past 30 years, the country's 
pre-1974 legacy is reflected in shockingly low graduation 
rates.  According to the OECD's "Economic Survey of Portugal 
2006," only 25% of Portuguese ages 25-34 have completed 
secondary education - well behind all other EU nations except 
Malta.  (NOTE: The U.S. graduation rate is nearly 85%.)  In 
Portugal, mandatory basic education lasts nine years, after 
which the education system splits into different tracks: 
students may drop out, engage in technical/vocational 
training, or continue towards higher education. 
 
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THE PLAN FOR EDUCATION REFORM 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (U) The Portuguese government developed a plan that lays 
out five broad objectives for education, as follows: 
 
-- Extend traditional and vocational/technical education to 
all children under 18, including those who have left school; 
-- Progressively expand pre-school education so that all 
children have access; 
-- Structure adult education and training programs to respond 
to the specific needs of working adults without the 
equivalent of the basic 9-year education; 
-- Make the school system more accessible and more 
accountable to students and their families, while making 
recruitment and placement of teachers, hours of operation for 
schools, and the structuring of their services, more aligned 
with the needs of students and their parents/guardians; and 
-- Implement a culture and practice of evaluation and 
responsibility, via national standardized tests measuring 
student performance, evaluation of teachers, and evaluation 
of schools. 
 
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SOLUTIONS FOR A NEW ECONOMY 
--------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) The GOP is putting other academic measures in place 
with hopes of making Portugal's economy more competitive; 
namely, by preparing the future workforce in English, 
science, technology, and math.  The GOP has made English 
compulsory starting in 3rd grade, and will make introductory 
courses in English available for 1st and 2nd graders after 
school.  In addition, Luis Capucha, the Ministry of 
Education's Director-General for Innovation and Curricular 
Development, noted that the all of the nation's schools now 
have computer access, enabling Portuguese youth to gain 
skills essential for an "information society" - a goal that 
PM Socrates identified as an administration priority.  The 
GOP also launched a new campaign to improve math scores after 
Portuguese students ranked second to last among EU nations on 
the PISA international test, and is working on a plan to 
integrate experimental science training throughout schooling 
for all students. 
 
¶6. (SBU) In addition, the GOP is in the planning stages of a 
campaign to improve student perception of technical and 
vocational training.  Capucha noted that a lack of interest 
stemming from poor student opinion of training programs, 
rather than a lack of access, has limited the scope and 
participation in specialized education.  Due to the complete 
 
LISBON 00001672  002 OF 002 
 
 
separation between secondary education programs, technical 
and vocational training are seen as "second-class" offerings 
by many Portuguese high school students.  Both Capucha and 
Manuel Grilo from the National Federation of Teachers 
(FENPROF) stressed that increased participation in technical 
and vocational programs would help alleviate unemployment by 
giving otherwise potential dropouts marketable skills, and 
make for a more flexible workforce, thereby benefiting 
Portugal's economy. 
 
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REFORM OF TEACHING CAREERS 
-------------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) In addition to the five reforms targeting students, 
the GOP also recently introduced a plan to change teaching 
careers by revamping teacher evaluation, restructuring the 
promotion system, and lengthening working hours.  Many 
teachers have denounced the reforms, causing considerable 
tension between teachers and their superiors in the Ministry 
of Education.  Pol/EconOff interviewed Jose Rodrigues, a 
senior teacher close to the Embassy, who believes the 
proposed changes are little more than a cost-saving measure. 
Rodrigues claimed the GOP wants to force teachers out of the 
system by denying them career progression.  Reducing the 
number of career grades and basing promotion on evaluation 
rather than seniority, while simultaneously increasing 
teachers' responsibilities and limiting lesson preparation 
and professional development, serves to encourage teachers to 
retire, according to Rodrigues. 
 
¶8. (U) Education Minister Maria de Lurdes Rodrigues publicly 
blamed teachers for Portugal's high dropout rates and poor 
showings on international tests, and accused teachers of 
caring only about their positions rather than the progress of 
their students.  In response, educators' unions organized a 
one-day national strike and have criticized both the Minister 
and the Ministry's reform package in local media. 
Portugal's Green Party and various teacher unions have called 
for Rodrigues's resignation.  One teacher reported that 
Minister Rodrigues's style has created an "atmosphere of war" 
between teachers and the Ministry. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶9. (C) The GOP's proposed reforms will help integrate the 
educational ethos into Portuguese society by expanding the 
years and hours of education for Portugal's youth and adult 
workers.  The expectations of improvement in 20 years depend 
on the present generation of children still in primary 
school, which will be the first with working class parents 
who value education and for whom quality education is widely 
available.  Minister Rodrigues's drive to reform the 
education system must be commended, and in a meeting with the 
Ambassador, Minister for the Presidency Pedro Silva Pereira 
shared his opinion that Rodrigues is the most effective 
Education Minister with whom he has worked. However, an 
opinion poll released on July 28 revealed a public approval 
rating of only 20% for the Minister - the result of a recent 
fiasco regarding physics and chemistry exit exams. 
Additionally, Rodrigues's abrasive tone towards educators and 
open distaste for the nation's teaching corps diminishes her 
effectiveness in implementing much-needed reforms. 
O'Neal