Upper secondary education

According to the Education Act, every student who successfully completes basic education has access to upper secondary education.

Upper secondary education comprises three years of schooling (grades 10, 11 and 12) and is currently compulsory for all students aged up to 18. It corresponds to ISCED level 3 (science-humanities courses), or QNQ/QEQ level 4 when this level is completed via a dual certification vocational education course (see Subchapter 6.6. Assessment in Vocational Upper Secondary Education).

Upper secondary education is universal, free, and compulsory.

Objectives and political context

According to the Education Act, general educational aims for upper secondary education are as follows:

• To develop students’ capacity for reasoning, reflection and scientific curiosity, as well as the expansion of the basic elements of humanities, artistic, scientific and technical culture that constitute an appropriate cognitive and methodological basis for further studies and working life.
• To provide young people with the essential knowledge to understand aesthetic and cultural expression and allow them to improve their own artistic expression.
• To foster the acquisition and application of increasingly in-depth knowledge based on study, critical thinking, observation and experimentation.
• To educate young people interested in solving national problems and making them aware of the problems affecting the international community, on the basis of the regional and national context and respect for the permanent values of society in general, and Portuguese culture in particular.
• To provide contact with and experience of the world of work, strengthening the ties between school, working life and the community, and by stimulating the innovative and participative role of the school.
• To foster the vocational guidance and training of young people by means of technical and technological knowledge that will help them find work;
• To create individual and group working habits and to foster the development of methodical reflection, open-mindedness, awareness and acceptance of others, and the capacity to adapt to change.

Education policy views education as a key means of promoting social justice, equal opportunities and quality education. This implies ensuring that success translates into effective and meaningful learning, with consolidated knowledge that is used in real situations that foster the development of high-level skills, which, in turn, contribute to successful citizenship in the context of the challenges posed by society.  Better learning that induces higher level competences is key for schools, students and teachers, allowing the curriculum to be managed in a flexible and contextualised manner, recognising that effective autonomy in education is only guaranteed if it extends to the curriculum. 

Within this context, and after a long process of listening to various stakeholders at national and international level, with a special focus on participating in the OECD Future of Education 2030 project, as well as the Voice of Students initiative, the aim is:

• to construct a 21st-century curriculum, and
• to ensure better learning for all, guaranteeing freedom of action and respect for institutional and professional autonomy.

These objectives involve creating the right conditions for Portuguese schools to respond to these new challenges. 

In order to reinforce and consolidate school and teacher pedagogical autonomy, the Ministry of Education advocates some general guidelines to be applied through Legislative Order No 10-B/2018, 6 July.

In 2021, legislation was published that created exceptional and temporary measures regarding how different types of schools would organise and operate, including upper secondary education, due to the SARS-COVID 2 coronavirus pandemic. It is worth highlighting the approval of the 21|23 School + Plan (Resolution of the Council of Ministers No 90/2021, 7 July), which consists of an integrated plan for learning recovery in basic and upper secondary education during the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 school years. 

To improve the quality of student learning, the following principles should be respected, among others:

• Definition of rules and procedures that allow the formation of educational teams, in order to foster collaborative and interdisciplinary work in the joint planning and implementation of teaching activities, as well as in the evaluation of teaching and learning.
• Creation of conditions that allow the monitoring of the groups or groups of students throughout each cycle by educational teams.
• Implementation of specific times for teachers to share and think about pedagogical practices and interconnection between the different levels of education.
• Preventative action that foresees factors/predictors of school failure and early leaving.
• Implementation of measures that guarantee an inclusive education that responds to each student’s potential, expectations and needs.
• Promotion of innovative and diversified teaching and learning methodologies.
• Close monitoring of students that change cycle and school.
• Prompt identification of student integration and learning issues.
• Close monitoring of students in each class that have integration issues, poor relationships with their peers and teachers, and learning difficulties.
• Matching teacher timetables to the school needs that arise during the academic year, whenever justified.

To prevent school failure and early leaving, schools should organise vocational guidance activities at certain times of the academic year, which are announced to the school community in a timely fashion.

Curricular flexibility and autonomy

Counteracting the main predictors of failure, adopting solutions appropriate to students’ situation and specific needs, the curriculum is seen as a key tool that schools can manage and develop locally, so that all students achieve the competences foreseen in the exit profile of students leaving compulsory education. As such, the main decisions at curricular and pedagogical level should be taken by schools and teachers. Decree-Law No 55/2018, 6 July, granted autonomy to schools, in dialogue with students, families and the community, to engage all in curricular development. 

As part of developing autonomy, Ordinance No 181/2019, 11 June (amended by Ordinance No 306/2021, 17 December), enshrines the possibility of greater curricular flexibility for schools, embodied in management of over 25% of basic curricular matrices of education and training provision, with a view to developing innovation plans for the curriculum, pedagogy and other areas. As part of an innovation plan, upper secondary school students can choose their own training paths (Decree-Law No 55/2018, 6 July), exchanging and substituting subjects, respecting the specific and scientific components of each course. This way, students can create the path that responds to their preferences and areas of interest.  

The adoption of individual training paths in science-humanities courses, vocational courses and specialised artistic courses is regulated by Ordinances: No 226-A/2018, 7 August, No 235-A/2018, 23 August and No 229-A/2018, 14 August, using basic curricular models as reference.  

The curricular flexibility and autonomy reference documents are as follows:

• Decree-Law No 55/2018, 6 July, which defines the curriculum of basic and upper secondary education, the guiding principles of its design, operation and evaluation of learning.
• Exit Profile of Students Leaving Compulsory Education
• Essential learning outcomes
• National Strategy for Citizenship Education
• Decree Law No54/2018, 6 July, which establishes the legal framework for inclusive education (with the amendments introduced by Law No 116/2019, 13 September).
• As part of autonomy and curricular flexibility, Ordinance No 181/2019, 11 June (amended by Ordinance No 306/2021, 17 December), defines the terms and conditions with which schools can manage over 25 % of basic curricular matrices of education and training provision in basic and upper secondary education.

Organisation of upper secondary education provision

Upper secondary education provides students with different pathways that seek to meet their vocational interests, free of stereotypes, and also allows them to complete compulsory schooling, enter the job market and pursue further studies.

Education and training in upper secondary education aims to provide students with diverse training and learning that matches their interests, recognising that everyone has capacity and can choose any educational and training provision available, with a view to continuing studies and/or working.

Education and training provision in upper secondary education:

a) Science-humanities courses

b) Vocational courses

c) Specialised artistic courses

d) Own-school-curriculum courses

e) Apprenticeship courses.

a. Science-humanities courses provide students with common general and specific training, in line with their interests in further studies in higher education, seeking to cover the skills areas in the exit profile of students leaving compulsory education through the knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired in the different education components. They are divided into four different courses: science and technology; socio-economic science; languages and humanities; visual arts.

b. Vocational courses provide students with initial vocational training and diversified learning, in accordance with their interests, with a view to pursuing studies and/or entering the job market, seeking to cover the skills areas in the Exit Profile of students leaving compulsory education, as well as the vocational profile associated with the respective qualification, through the knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired in the different training components.

c. Specialised artistic courses provide students with general, scientific and artistic training in accordance with their interests in pursuing further studies or entering the job market, seeking to cover the skills areas in the exit profile of students leaving compulsory education through the knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired in the different education components. These are divided into three artistic areas: visual and audio-visual arts, dance and music.

d. Own-school-curriculum courses grant autonomy to schools to diversify their education and training provision, designing a unique curriculum that facilitates further studies or entering the job market, seeking to cover the skills areas in the exit profile of students leaving compulsory education through the knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired in the different education components. Therefore, these courses respond to the challenges posed by the scientific and technological development of the world today, allowing the creation of pathways based on the demands and expectations of the community to which it belongs, thus contributing to development and territorial cohesion.

e. Apprenticeship courses allow for academic and vocational certification, emphasising inclusion in the job market, boosted by a strong training component undertaken in a work context, and the pursuit of higher level studies (Ordinance No 1497/2008, 19 December).

Upper secondary education provision also includes recurrent face-to-face and distance learning education (ESRaD), which can be consulted in Chapter 8 – Adult Education and Training. Although geared towards adults, this provision also offers access to young people between 16 and 18 who, because they are working or at risk of dropping out, choose a modular system by subject/grade.

Types of institutions

Upper secondary education is taught in public, private and cooperative schools, including public and private VET schools. For more information, see types of institutions in Subchapter 6.1.  Organisation of General Upper Secondary Education.

Post-secondary non-tertiary education

In Portugal, post-secondary, non-tertiary education provision is based on specialised technological courses, which provide qualified entry into the job market and the acquisition of a level 5 National Qualifications Framework (Quadro Nacional de Qualificações - QNQ). They are regulated by Decree-Law No 88/2006, 23 May, offering specialised training pathways in different technological areas, providing for the development of professional skills and competences.

Specialised technological courses confer level 5 qualifications, in accordance with Ordinance No 782/2009, 23 July. This qualification is obtained by combining general or vocational upper secondary training with post-secondary technical training and described as follows:

• high-level technical training.
• the resulting qualification includes higher level knowledge and skills;
• generally, does not require in-depth knowledge of scientific foundations of the areas in question.
• the skills and knowledge acquired allow students to take on creative, administrative or management positions that are generally autonomous or independent.

As such, specialised technological courses aim to meet socio-economic needs, in terms of specialised workers who can adapt to the rapidly changing scientific and technological requirements of the labour market. It also operates as an alternative way of improving young people’s skills and re-training workers.

General objectives

Specialised technological courses aim to help students:

• to improve scientific and technological knowledge in a given training area.
• to develop skills for professional practice.
• to pursue studies in higher education.
• to achieve professional retraining.

Types of institutions

Post-secondary non-tertiary education is provided at upper secondary schools, vocational training centres, technological schools and other training institutions accredited by the Ministry of Economy. 

For more information, see Types of institutions in Subchapter 6.7. Organisation of Post-Secondary Non-Tertiary Education.

Relevant regulatory framework

Decree-Law No 55/2018, 6 July, with the Rectification Statement No 29-A/2018, 4 September, and amendment No 70/2021, 3 August, regulate the curricular organisation in force for all upper secondary education grades for the 2020/21 and 2021/2022 school years. In its current wording, this decree defines the curriculum of basic and upper secondary education, the guiding principles of its design, operation and evaluation of learning. It seeks to cover the skills areas in the exit profile of students leaving compulsory education through the knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired in the different education components.

Decree-Law No 42/2012, 22 February amends the system of final grading in upper secondary education for science-humanities courses in recurrent education for students who wish to continue their studies, without affecting the status of those who only intend to complete their upper secondary education.

Ordinance No 226-A/2018, 7 August, regulates the upper secondary level science-humanities courses (sciences and technologies, socioeconomic sciences, languages and humanities, and visual arts).

Ordinance No 235-A/2018, 23 August, regulates dual certification, upper secondary vocational courses, both academic and vocational.

Ordinance No 229-A/2018, 14 August, with amendments introduced by Declaration of Rectification No 29/2018, 4 September, regulates upper secondary, specialised artistic courses, such as dance, music, singing and Gregorian Chant.

Ordinance No 232-A/2018, 20 August, regulates upper secondary, specialised artistic courses, such as communication design, product design and artistic production, in the area of visual arts, and the audiovisual communication course in the area of audiovisuals.

Ordinance No 782/2009, 23 July regulates the National Qualifications Framework and defines the descriptors for national qualification levels.

Decree-Law No 54/2018, 6 July, which establishes the legal framework for inclusive education (with amendments introduced by Law no. 116/2019, 13th September).

Ordinance No 181/2019, 11 June, which defines the terms and conditions with which schools can manage over 25% of basic curricular matrices of education and training provision in basic and upper secondary education as part of autonomy and curricular flexibility.

For more information on the main provision of laws relevant to upper secondary education, visit the website of the Directorate-General for Education and ANQEP I.P.