During most of Portugal's history, education was a privilege of the nobility and clergy. It was not until after the 1974revolution that basic education was extended to include a larger percentage of the population.
Basic Education
Portugal's education system can be summarised in the following diagram (click to enlarge):
Higher education:
At present, higher education in Portugal is divided into two subsystems: university education and non-university higher education (polytechnic education), and it is provided in public and private universities and non-university higher education institutions (both public and private).The Portuguese Catholic University was instituted by decree of the Holy See and is recognized by the State of Portugal. Private higher education institutions cannot operate if they are not recognized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Access is regulated by the same procedures as those for state higher education institutions. The two systems of higher education (university and polytechnic) are linked and it is possible to transfer from one to the other. It is also possible to transfer from a public institution to a private one and vice-versa.
At present, higher education in Portugal is divided into two subsystems: university education and non-university higher education (polytechnic education), and it is provided in public and private universities and non-university higher education institutions (both public and private).The Portuguese Catholic University was instituted by decree of the Holy See and is recognized by the State of Portugal. Private higher education institutions cannot operate if they are not recognized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Access is regulated by the same procedures as those for state higher education institutions. The two systems of higher education (university and polytechnic) are linked and it is possible to transfer from one to the other. It is also possible to transfer from a public institution to a private one and vice-versa.