Portugal Immigration focuses on Portugal Education: According to reports from the Portuguese public news website, the Ninth Grade English exam in Portugal will be included in graduation grades. The exam papers are provided by the University of Cambridge, and all students must participate in the exam. This exam has been conducted for the past two years but was not included in graduation grades.
On Tuesday, the Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science announced this decision, stating that the exam results will account for 20% to 30% of the final graduation assessment.
In July of this year, when Minister of Education Nuno Crato revealed this news, he mentioned that the specific weight will be determined by each school, stating, "This is part of their autonomy in managing the school."
In the statement released on Tuesday, new grading policies for elementary and middle schools were explained, which are set to be published in the official bulletin. The Ministry of Education also confirmed that while the weight of the exam will be determined by each school, the range (from 20% to 30%) is fixed. "Schools can choose a weight they deem appropriate," the policy states.
Currently, elementary and middle school exams account for 30% of the graduation assessment.
The English exam is administered at the second level of the Cambridge English Qualifications (PET), and, as in the past two years, the papers are still provided by the University of Cambridge, with all students required to take the exam. Last year's exam results were not included in the graduation assessment, and according to the standards set by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, 61.8% of students achieved only basic levels, which is below the proficiency level required for the ninth grade.
The Portuguese Ministry of Education also emphasized in the statement that the new graduation assessment policy "has changed very little, with only necessary adjustments made." Due to the announced changes, some reforms are inevitable. However, in practice, the passing criteria for students in the basic education phase will become stricter.
The Ministry pointed out that the introduction of English in the third grade has brought some changes to the passing standards for students, giving more value to the subject of English.
Background information on education in Portugal:
The public education system in Portugal is divided into preschool education (ages 3-5), basic education (ages 6-15, grades 1-9), secondary education (ages 16-18, grades 10-12), and higher education. Basic education is nine years of compulsory education, requiring that every child aged six must enroll in school by September 15 each year. Basic education is divided into three cycles: the first cycle lasts four years (grades 1-4), the second cycle lasts two years (grades 5-6), and the third cycle lasts three years (grades 7-9). Among these, grades 1-6 constitute elementary education, while grades 7-9 constitute middle school education. Secondary education is non-compulsory and is divided into general high school education and technical vocational education.
