Over the past few years, fewer students were failing in secondary education, but this trend was disrupted in the academic year of 2022/2023, according to data released by the Ministry of Education, Science and Education (MECI).
Out of more than 64,000 students who should have completed the 12th grade by the summer of 2023, only 45,000 managed to do so. Nearly 15,000 failed at some stage.
This reality contradicts a gradual improvement trend: In 2018/2019, 63% of students finished secondary education within three years, increasing to 70% the following year, 77% the next, and 80% by the end of 2022.
The latest data for 2022/2023 shows that only 77% completed secondary education without setbacks. Particularly, students in the 10th and 12th grades had higher failure or dropout rates (12% and 11%, respectively), while in the 11th grade, only 4% repeated the year or ceased studying.
National averages disguise varying realities. Out of more than 500 schools, there are eight where the majority of students did not complete the three years without failure.
These eight schools are located in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area: two in Lisbon, two in Odivelas, and others in Amadora, Loures, Sintra, and Cascais.
In 40 schools, more than 40% of students failed secondary education, with the vast majority (32) situated in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area.
Only eight institutions with high failure rates are outside the Lisbon region, notably in the district of Bragança with schools in Vila Flor, Alfandega da Fé, and Vinhais, and in Porto with schools in the municipalities of Porto, Paredes, and Vila Nova de Gaia. There is also a notable case in a school in Mora and another in São João da Pesqueira.
However, there are also many cases of success, where schools enable their students to exceed expectations, based on the performance of similar students in other national schools.
There are 12 schools where all students finished secondary education within the expected three years. Standouts include Escola Básica e Secundária de Paredes de Coura and Escola Básica e Secundária Vale d’Este in Viatodos, Barcelos, as no failures occurred and typically, such students experience failure rates above 20% nationwide.
Examining the academic paths of nearly 65,000 students reveals that Visual Arts students have the highest failure rates (69%), followed by Socioeconomic Sciences and Languages and Humanities (both with 75% success), and finally, Science and Technology students (79%).
In other educational levels, there are far fewer cases of failure: In the 1st and 2nd cycles, the success rates were above 90% during the 2022/2023 academic year, while in the 3rd cycle, it stood at 88%.
Cross-referencing academic results with socioeconomic data indicates that parental education levels remain a significant influence on children’s academic success, with mothers’ education being even more decisive.
Economic conditions of families also continue to have a substantial impact, as students without social educational support perform better across all subjects compared to their less affluent peers (ASE beneficiaries).
