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ACCESS
TO THE NATIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEM
All
parents wish their children to learn, be successful and be
happy.
They hope that through the school, the child will be
prepared to form part of society, as a responsible and active
citizen.
The
school can and should help the family in the so important
job of
bringing up children, but this is only possible if the school
and
the family work together.
To
work together it is necessary to get to know each other. To
help
this, we are providing useful information here for
immigrant parents to become more familiar with the kinds of
schools that Portugal has and, in this way, accompany their
children better.
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ENROLMENT
The
first enrolment is made in the calendar year in which the
child
turns 6 years of age, from the beginning of January until
15
September.
Enrolment is renewed each year at the end of the academic year.
Can I
enrol my son/daughter outside these dates?
The
school will accept enrolment at any time of the year for
Primary and Middle School (1st, 2nd and 3rd ciclos) when
accompanied by a written request from the person legally
responsible for the child’s education (normally parent or
guardian).
And
what happens if it is necessary to change school in the
middle
of the year?
You
can ask to transfer school at any time of the year.
Which
documents are necessary for enrolment?
-
Official Identification Paper (Cédula) or Identity Card of
the
child or a certificate from the Embassy of the country
of
origin of the child.
- A
completed enrolment form, along with a photograph.
This
form is supplied by the school and if you have
difficulty in filling it in, the person who gave it to you
should
be able to help you.
-
Vaccination Record, Health Centre Card and “Early
Warning Health Record” (“ficha de ligação”). This
document is filled in by the Health Centre and allows early
detection of visual and hearing problems, for example. It
is
therefore very important that you register at your local
Health
Centre. b
- If
you have any difficulty in otaining these documents,
tell
the school of your problem.
In
which school should I enrol my son/daughter?
You
should enrol your child in the school in the area where you
live,
or in the school in your area of work, if that is easier for
yourself.
Can my
enrolment be turned down?
In the
school in your area of residence, no enrolment can be
refused unless the child is older than fifteen years of age, or all
places
have been filled. In this case, the school itself will try
and
direct the student to another school in the area.
If my
situation is not regularised, can my children still enrol
and
attend school?
All
children whatever their situation with regard to the laws of
their
host country, have the right to education and, therefore, the
right
to attend school and take benefit from this as any other
child.
The
school can also provide information and counselling, in the
event
of any doubts or problems.
-
TIMETABLE
What
is the timetable for the classes?
Primary School (1º ciclo)
The
students receive 25 hours of classes. These start at 9.00 and
finish
at 15.00, with intervals halfway through the morning and
at
lunchtime.
Middle
School ( 2º and 3º ciclos)
The
students have approximately 30 hours of classes, in a
schedule that may be mainly a morning or an afternoon one.
Does
the school have extracurricular activities?
Primary School (1º ciclo)
There
are schools which offer free time activities (actividades
de
tempos livres –ATL), normally through the initiative of the
Parents’ Association. Because of this, they are not always free
of
charge.
Middle
School ( 2º and 3º ciclos)
In
middle education schools often offer ‘enrichment activities”
(actividades de enriquecimento) - such as Clubs (Environment,
European, Photography) which are extracurricular and free, but
within
a limited timetable (two or three hours a week) as well as
sporting activities.
-
SUPPORT
Does
the school provide meals?
Most
schools have an eating area and provide meals. The
student pays 1.25 Euros, unless they have a full or partial
subsidy.
Is
there any food subsidy?
It is
necessary to fill out a school form with information about
family
income. Depending on this income you may have the
right
to a complete or partial subsidy. In Primary School (1st
ciclo)
milk is distributed free of charge every day to all pupils.
Is
there any subsidy for schoolbooks?
The
form mentioned in the previous section also determines the
right,
whether complete or partial, to a subsidy for schoolbooks
and
other material needed for school.
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INFORMATION
Can I
visit the school?
Yes,
at any time. Talk to the head of the school and ask for any
information that you feel you need.
Who
should I talk to in order to get more information?
The
school board (direcção da escola) will answer your
questions and know how to put you in touch with others, if that
is
judged necessary.
Can I
talk with a teacher of my child?
Whenever a parent has a worry or any urgent need they should
talk
to a teacher. You can do this in person, through the school
telephone or through a message left in the school daily record in
Primary School (1st ciclo) or in the Student’s register
(Caderneta do aluno) in the case of Middle School (2nd and 3rd
ciclos),
Is
there a schedule for attending parents?
In
primary school there is only one teacher for each class. The
teacher arranges an hour a week to speak to parents.
In
middle schools each class has several teachers. Contact
should
be made through the form teacher (director de turma).
In
these meetings parents and teachers exchange information
about
the school, classes, and the behaviour and scholastic
progress of the children.
In the
event of it being impossible to talk to the teacher at
his/her availability time, ask for another appointment.
- MY
CHILD CANNOT SPEAK PORTUGUESE
What
does the pupil learn with regard to the Portuguese
Language?
Whenever necessary, the school organises support classes for
learning Portuguese, outside the normal timetable.
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LEARNING DIFFICULTIES
My
child has learning difficulties. What can I do?
If you
notice that your child is different in some way from the
brothers or sisters or children who are in his circle (hearing
badly,
seeing badly, speaking difficulties or learning slowly),
you
should tell the teachers to carry out a more careful
examination of the child.
Is
there specific support within/outside the school?
Some
pupils require a different kind of education and greater
attention. These children are integrated into classes and work
alongside their colleagues but, beside their class teacher, they
may
also have the specific support of a special needs teacher
who
helps to find the most suitable way of teaching and
responding to any difficulties.
EQUIVALENCES
If the
child has already attended school in another country,
how
can this be equivalenced?
You
should present a scholastic record to the school, stamped by
the
Embassy. The student joins a class and immediately starts
attending school, normally in the school year that corresponds to
his/her age. The school can ask for the scholastic record to be
translated, particularly in the final years of school.
§
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SCHOOL AND THE
PARENTS
The
school has the duty, in co-operation with the parents and the
community, to stimulate the balanced development of the child,
both
in classroom activities and also in the other activities of the
school.
The
parents have the duty to actively follow the school life of
their
children, and be in frequent contact with the teachers so as
to
learn about their children’s progress and problems.
§
STUDY PLANS
Which
subjects will my child learn?
Primary education is organised around two central themes:
-
curriculum areas related to subjects
-
cross-curricular areas (personal and social training)
All
curriculum areas are integrated and organised in such a way
as to
develop general and specific skills such as: researching,
selecting and organising information, or co-operating with
others
in tasks and group projects. Education for Citizenship (A
Educação para a Cidadania) is included in all these areas.
The
cross-curricular areas are common to the three levels of
education:
Project
Supervised Study
Civic
training
Moral
and Religious education (attendance is not obligatory)
The
subject curriculum areas vary according to the level of
education:
Primary (1º ciclo)
Portuguese Language
Mathematics
Study
of the Environment
Artistic and Physical-Motor expression
Middle
I (2º ciclo)
Portuguese Language
Foreign Language
History and Geography of Portugal
Mathematics
Nature
Sciences
Visual
and Technological Education
Musical Education
Physical Education
Middle
II (3º ciclo)
Portuguese Language
Foreign Language I
Foreign Language II
History
Geography
Mathematics
Natural Sciences
Physics-Chemistry
Artistic Education
Technological Education
Physical Education
Optional Subject (particular to each school) – for example – ICT
–
Information and Communicative Technologies.
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USEFUL CONTACTS
Cirep
– The Ministry of Education’s Centre for Information
and
Public Relations (Centro de Informação e Relações
Públicas
do Ministério da Educação)
Av. 5 de
Outubro, 107, 1069-018 Lisboa
Tel: 217
93 16 03
Fax:217
96 41 19
e-mail:
cirep@min-edu.pt
www.min-edu.pt
ACIME
– THE HIGH COMMISION FOR IMMIGRATION
AND
ETHNIC MINORITIES
(ACIME –
ALTO COMISSARIADO PARA A IMIGRAÇÃO E
MINORIAS
ÉTNICAS.)
Palácio
Foz – Praça dos Restauradores – Apartado 2596
LISBOA
Tel: 21
321 95 00/01
Praça
Carlos Alberto, 71- 4050-157 PORTO
Tel:
22 204 61 10
ORGANISATION OF THE PORTUGUESE
EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
LEVELS
OF SCHOOLING YEAR IN SCHOOL
ENTRY
AGE
Higher
Education
Secondary Education Essential Education
Middle
School II (3º ciclo) Compulsory Education
Middle
School I (2º ciclo)
Primary Education (1º ciclo)
Pre-school education
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