Portugal

The Iberian Peninsula, which includes Portugal and Spain, has always been considered separate from the rest of Europe. Innovations from the rest of Europe were introduced up to a century after they had been instituted in other countries. Two major changes occurred in the twentieth century that helped Portugal catch up with the rest of Europe. The first was the Revolution of 1975, which introduced democratic reform. The second was Portugal's admission to the European Common Market. Financial aid, technological cooperation, and a renewed educational system helped diminish the educational gap and allowed Portugal to compete with other countries in the twenty-first century.

The Ministry of Education office in Portugal has faced continual challenges throughout its existence, especially with demands for a standardized education throughout Europe. Major reforms took place in Portugal in the 1980s and 1990s: development of polytechnic higher education as an alternative to university higher education, implementation of school management with the participation of the community (parents, local authorities, etc.), reform of school curricula by integrating subject contents of different fields of knowledge, and collaboration of state support in private vocational schools.

In the 1990s, the demand for a completely free education became a proverbial battle between the Ministry of Education and students from public universities across the country. Prior to the 1990s, private higher education institutions were nonexistent, and the small number of enrollments available in public universities was responsible for a huge gap between the number of applicants and the number of admissions. To complicate matters, access to universities was dependent on different factors dictated by different governments. Admissions criteria varied from a student's twelfth year of schooling as the determining factor in admission to a student's placement on nationwide standardized exams. Admissions criteria then became based on a student's placement on the controversial PGA, or Prova Geral de Acesso (general access exam), in conjunction with his/her grades from the tenth through the twelfth years of school. The PGA was later replaced by the Provas Específicas (specific exams), which tested candidates to the university according to their fields of expertise.

In any case, access to a university was a competitive process that left thousands of students each year waiting for another opportunity the next year. Among those who made it, there existed a gap between those receiving a nearly free education at public universities and those dealing with the high cost of studying at a private university. After graduating from a program, the Portuguese students had another challenge, finding a job that corresponded to their education, training, and aspirations.

As of the early 2000s, the way universities offer their cursos (courses) differs from the United States. Courses in Portugal consist of a predefined program for the duration of the student's education. Rather than random classes, students pick from programs in specific fields. As most universities tend to specialize in a limited number of subject areas, students have a limited choice of schools that offer the courses pertinent to their vocation.

Students in secondary education voiced their concerns in an active way. In the early twenty-first century, it is a common occurrence in Portugal for students to boycott classes and organize manifestations in front of the headquarters of the Ministry of Education or one of its regional branches. One concern of students was sex education classes, which students claimed were promised to be in the curriculum many years prior but had never been included. High school students have also been known to voice their disagreement, as when the Ministry of Education proposed to increase the length of the class period from 50 to 90 minutes.

The twenty-first century offers the challenge of broadening access to higher education for more students, the training and development of teachers to face the increasing number of students, and increased vocational education for a more demanding and specialized job market. Education in Portugal is developing at an accelerated rate in all aspects. Illiteracy rates have fallen consistently in the last years. There have never been so many students in higher education, and so many pursuing graduate studies. The country is developing rapidly, and education is accompanying this strong evolution.