In the 80s of the last century pre-school education started to become

relevant in Portugal, supported by new legislation and facilities created by

the Ministery of Education.

Later, in the 90s, pre-school was recognized as the first step of school life

(step 0). Nevertheless it still remains non compulsory to the present day.

Pre-school education in Portugal is ministrated in public schools,

cooperative schools (private owned but partially supported by the state)

and private schools.

Coverage rate of pre-school education

1985/86 1995/96 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06

29,3% 58,0% 75,6% 77,2% 77,3% 77,9% 78,3% 78,4%

Source: GEPE

The immediate goal of the Ministery of Education is to achieve a coverage rate of 80%.

In public schools, pre-school education comprehends two components:

one educational, which is the responsibility of the Ministery of the Education, with

a daily length of five hours and another of family support which is the

responsibility of the municipalities, with a daily length that may vary from school

to school (according to the family needs).

The educational component is ministrated by pre-school teachers with

a contractual link with the Ministery of Education. The family support component

is ashured by school staff (monitors or school servants), with contractual links with

the municipalities and under the coordination of pre-school teachers.

The educational component is free; the family support component is

paid according to criteria set by the municipalities.

The school year starts in September and ends in July. Throughout the

school year there are three major breaks: Christmas, Carnival and Easter.

The Christmas holidays, in December, cannot exceed five working days;

the Carnival holidays are usually in February and last for 3 days; the Easter

holidays might occur in March or April and cannot exceed five working days

All the schools are opened five days a week, from Monday to Friday,

except on bank holidays

• Promote the personal and social development of the child based on

experiments of democratic living in a perspective of education for the

citizenship;

• Promote the insertion of the child in distinct social groups, with respect

for the plurality of cultures, favouring a progressive consciousness as a

member of society;

• Contribute to the equality of opportunities in school access and to the

learning success;

• Stimulate the global development of the child in the respect of his/her

individual characteristics, instilling individual behaviours that favor

significant and differentiate characteristics;

• Develop expression and communication through multiple languages as

means of relation, information, aesthetic awareness and understanding

of the world.

• Arouse curiosity and critical thought;

• Give the child moments of welfare and security, namely in the scope of

the individual and collective health;

• Proceed to screening of inadaptations, handicaps or precocities and

promote a better guidance and routing of the child;

• Promote the participation of the families in the educational process and

set relations of effective colaboration with the community.

Personal and social

formation area

Autonomy/independence;

Citizenship education;

Democratic experience .

Expression and

communication area

•Oral language and approach to writing;

•Mathematics;

•ICT

•Plastic expression;

•Musical expression;

•Drama/dance expression;

•Expression by the movement.

Knowledge of the world

area

Science;

Environmental education;

Health education;

Sexual education.

Portugal

Population 10 555 853

District of Santarém Population 454 456

Municipality of Torres Novas Population: 36 837

Source: INE Censos 2011

Public pre-schools 12

Semi- private pre-schools 6

Private pre-schools 0

nº of children

Public pre-schools 523

Semi- private pre-schools 247

Private pre-schools 0

Pre-schools nº of children

Pre-school of Barroca 15

Pre-school CEAC 106

Pre-school of Lamarosa 19

Pre-school of Lapas 16

Pre-school of Resgais 16

Pre-school of Rodrigos 15

Pre-school of Tufeiras 50

The School Center of Assentis and Chancelaria (SCAC) opened to the

pupils in November 2010. It is located in a rural area in the municipality of Torres Novas, about 10 Km from the town center.

The SCAC comprehends pre-school (3 - 6 years old) and primary school (6 -10 years old) levels and integrates itself a broader school Merge denominated Agrupamento de Escolas Gil Paes.

The school center of Assentis e Chancelaria (SCAC) was created to

merge several small schools from the parishes of Assentis and

Chancelaria in a single space:

Pre- school of Mata

CEAC

Pre- school of Rexaldia

Pre- school of Chancelaria

Pre- school of Casais da Igreja

Pre- school /Primary school of Assentis

Pre- school /Primary school of Moreiras

Grandes

Pre- school /Primary school of

Fungalvaz

Daily schedule

Educational component morning 09:00 – 11:30

afternoon 13:00 – 15:30

Family support component

morning 08:00 – 09:00

lunch 11:30 – 13:00

afternoon 15:30 – 19:00

Everyday most children are carried to school in the morning and back

home in the afternoon by bus. In the morning transports start at 8:30

and in the afternoon at 5:30 pm.

School Population in 2011/2012

Pupils

Pre-school 106

1st level

(primary) 120

Staff

Teachers

Pre-school 6

1st level (primary) 7

Support/coordination 6

School-servents Pre-school 9

1st level (primary) 9

Technicians 3

Entry/Porch Offices Classroom

1

Classroom

2

Classroom

3

Classroom

4

Classroom

5

Canteen

Kitchen Library WC

Computers

room WC Laboratory

Classroom

6

Ground floor – Pre-school

Classroom

14

Classroom

13

Classroom

12 WC

Sta

irs

Lift

Classroom

11 Classroom

10 Classroom

9 Classroom

8 Classorom

7

Sta

ris

1st floor – Primary school

Sports Hall