Edulog is an initiative of the Belmiro de Azevedo Foundation that aims to help build an education system of reference. One of its lines of action is to carry out studies on education issues. Released in July this year, the latest study, directed by Luís Catela Nunes, characterises and analyses the extent to which the school performance of students in Portugal is conditioned by the socio-economic background of their families. School performance is measured by the results of national exams in basic education and their school pathways from basic to secondary education for the school years 2007/08 to 2017/18.
In their Introduction, they state that "in Portugal, as in many other countries, despite the education authorities defending and promoting equity in education, pupils' school results continue to be strongly linked to the socio-economic conditions of their families". The study, which focussed on the various regions of the country and related regional differences in school performance to the specific characteristics of the regions, highlighted other determinants on which action can be taken.
The study shows, in fact, that pupils from similar socio-economic backgrounds have very different school performances depending on the region in which they live. It also identifies the municipalities in which pupils from low socio-economic backgrounds obtain the best and worst results. And in some municipalities, pupils from different socio-economic backgrounds have similar school performances, while in other municipalities socio-economic inequalities result in great inequalities in school results.
The various indicators calculated in this study, with a geographical breakdown down to the municipality level, can be consulted on a data visualisation platform. This data, available by municipality, makes it possible - as the study's authors suggest - to "identify the municipalities with the most extreme situations, analyse their contexts, and thus contribute to a more informed analysis and debate on the diversity of regional contexts and on the policies and measures that can promote educational equity in each region".
An excellent starting point for action in each municipality.
