“We have a very unequal society, that is a statistical fact. We have a lot of inequality in access to education, we still do. We know that students receiving social aid have poorer results and higher retention rates compared to students from more privileged socioeconomic backgrounds, and we are taking measures to counteract this,” stated Fernando Alexandre in Vila Real.
A report from the National Education Council (CNE) released on Tuesday concludes that students from more vulnerable social, economic, and cultural backgrounds, as well as foreign students, encounter more challenging educational paths, with significantly lower success rates compared to their peers.
The State of Education Report 2024 by the CNE indicates that, despite the general stabilization of completion rates – with 92% of students completing the 1st cycle of basic education, 95% the 2nd cycle, and 88% the 3rd cycle without retention, along with 78% in scientific-humanistic courses and 69% in professional secondary education – disparities between groups persist.
The CNE warns that “the completion rates within the expected time for children and young people from families and/or backgrounds that are more fragile socially, economically, and culturally, as well as foreign students, continue to be significantly lower than those of other students, with notable differences.”
“This is an identification that the CNE makes, that is, the confirmation of a fact that we already know in our system, and that we must continue to combat to ensure equal opportunities,” emphasized Fernando Alexandre, who was present today at UTAD to discuss the opening of the Medicine course in 2026/27, along with the Minister of Health.
Regarding the report, the minister noted that the data on foreign students refer to 2023/24.
“We face many challenges in this area. Since that time, the number of foreign students has increased quite significantly, but it’s important to say that a set of measures the Government has been implementing, notably cultural and linguistic mediators, are not considered in this report because they were introduced afterward and have been having very positive results,” he highlighted.
However, he added, “It is indeed a big challenge because 25% of the approximately 170,000 foreign students in the system are not Portuguese speakers, and this is a huge challenge for the system and their interaction.”
Fernando Alexandre was also asked about the general strike scheduled for Thursday, merely commenting: “we will see the level of adherence.”
“It’s a right that workers have. Fortunately, in recent times, strikes haven’t significantly affected schools. They have managed to function normally,” he mentioned.
The Ministry of Education, Science, and Innovation revealed today that higher education institutions will have more autonomy to manage the vacancies of their courses, potentially increasing seats by 5% and reusing unfilled places.
To journalists, Fernando Alexandre added that this change “essentially gives institutions more autonomy.”
“We believe institutions need to have their autonomy reinforced, always with accountability. What we are doing is allowing institutions to have fewer constraints if they need to make adjustments in their educational offerings to respond to demand,” he explained.
He emphasized that this “is a step in the right direction to allow flexibility and response of supply to demand.”
