Lisbon Education

The Lisbon education is both compulsory and free for children between 6 and 14 years of age. The government of Portugal has undertaken a new scheme, according to which education in Lisbon will be made compulsory for students till they are 18 years old.

The basic system of education in Lisbon is divided into 4 stages, which are Pré-Escolar, Ensino Básico, Ensino Secundário and Ensino Superior. Pré-Escolar stage of education in Lisbon is meant for children who are below 6 years. The school year in Lisbon begins from mid-September and continues till June. The actual dates are decided by individual schools but there should not be less than 180 school days in one academic year.

Ensino Basico - Basic education in Lisbon

The Ensino Básico stage comprises 3 phases in a period of 9 years. The 1st cycle is for students aged between 6 and 10 and it lasts for 4 years. The 2nd cycle is meant for pupils aged 10 to 12 and lasts for 2 years. The 3rd or the last cycle lasts for 3 years and is for students 12 to fifteen to 15 years of age. The primary schools in Lisbon offer the1st cycle of education, however both secondary and primary schools provide the 2nd and 3rd cycles of education.

Ensino Secundario-Secondary Education in Lisbon

The Ensino Secundário stage continues for 3 years in various disciplines. After students complete their the nine years of compulsory education, they can opt for secondary education or for vocational education. At this stage education is not free and students have to pay for tuition and enrollment. Some of the reputed schools in Lisbon are St Julian's School, St George's School, St Dominic's International School, St Peter's School, The Cascais International School and many more.

Higher education in Lisbon

The higher education system in Lisbon comprises a number of public universities, polytechnics and other private institutions of higher education. The students who hold a secondary school diploma or has finished 3 years of secondary education, can pursue higher education or Ensino Superior. They also have to clear a national level examination, arranged by Directorate-General of Higher Education. Some of the significant centers of higher education in Lisbon are University of Lisbon, Technical University of Lisbon, Catholic University of Portugal, Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon and Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa to name only a few. The University of Coimbra was the first Portuguese university that was founded in Lisbon on 1st March, 1290. The Escola Politécnica or the Polytechnic School opened in Lisbon in 1837, and the Instituto Industrial de Lisboa was also inaugurated soon. The Lisbon Royal School of Surgery was established in 1825.

The Lisbon education is imparted through different schools, colleges and universities, to produce well-trained and learned citizens.