PORTUGUESE EDUCATION: FROM SALAZAR TO SOCRATES

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
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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
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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
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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

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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
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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