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 If you are moving to Portugal with your children, you will want to have them registered in the Portuguese education system as soon as possible. Find schools in Portugal for children of all ages with this helpful guide created by VanOne.

Educational tiers for all ages:

• Jardim de Infância (Kindergarten): three to five years old
• Ensino Básico (‘basic’ or primary education): six to fifteen years old
• Ensino Secundário (secondary education): fifteen to seventeen years old

Find schools in Portugal that are close to your new home

The location of the school your children will attend is based upon the area of residency, or of the work location of one of the parents. New citizens have as much right to enrol their children in the education system as birthright citizens do. It is the location of the new home that decides where they will go to school.

It is therefore wise to choose a new home in Portugal that is close to an acceptable school. International schools are great for students who speak a foreign language such as English or French. Plus, they can learn the local language as well.

Private and state schools in Portugal

While private schools offer a wider curriculum, they are also mostly faith-based. They also pay teachers significantly less than the public schools, so teachers are often young and inexperienced, and tend to not stick around at the same school for very long.

As far as public schools are concerned, you will find that the system in Portugal is very flawed. Therefore several strikes are held throughout the year, and the infrastructures are often lacking in quality. Also, only a small number of teachers speak English. The full curriculum is taught in Portuguese. The good news is, the government has finally started to take a serious look into this problem. Therefore, new measures are being implemented to improve it over the next few years.

How to enrol your child in school

Enrolling your child in public school will also present a number of difficulties. Enrolment must be done between January and May of the previous year, in the school closest to home or the parent’s workplace. Portugal is a very bureaucratic country which requires a lot of paperwork. This might move slowly, so preparing in advance is a must.

If you want your child to be educated in a bilingual system, the best options are International schools. Although the tuition fees can be quite high, the standards of teaching are much higher. Children can follow the curriculum in their mother tongue along with their native colleagues, making for a much richer learning experience.

Most of these schools are located in Lisbon and the Algarve:

• St Peter’s School will educate your child from kindergarten to college. You can pre-register your child online – although, the waiting list may be quite long.
• PaRK International School has a variety of campuses spread throughout Lisbon. You can also pre-register online. They are also very supportive in assisting you before moving to Portugal.
• Nobel International School in the Algarve has students of more than 70 different cultures, providing a unique, innovative teaching and learning philosophy, integrating knowledge and skill development.

Don’t forget to organize your budget accordingly. These schools can be quite expensive. Alternatively, negotiate a learning package with your employer before coming to Portugal. Your place of work could also help you to find schools in Portugal.