40 Years of the Basic Law on the Education System Seminar

On 14 and 15 October, Universidade Lusófona – Lisbon University Centre hosted the opening sessions of the seminar 40 Years of the Basic Law on the Education System: Between Its Legacy and Possible Futures, held in the Agostinho da Silva Auditorium.

Organised by the Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Education and Development at Universidade Lusófona (CeiED), the Centre for Research in Education at the University of Madeira (CIE-UMa), and the Research Centre for Education and Psychology at the University of Évora, the seminar marked four decades since the adoption of the legislation that laid the foundations for the democratisation of education and consolidated the development of a democratic public education system.

The central question guiding the seminar's discussions was: “What kind of Basic Law do we need today, not merely as a legal framework, but as a political, social and educational project capable of addressing contemporary challenges in education?”

Held under the High Patronage of His Excellency the President of the Portuguese Republic, the event brought together researchers, teachers, students, policymakers, educational leaders and representatives of civil society for an inclusive and wide-ranging debate on the development and future of education in Portugal.

The seminar programme featured some of the most prominent figures in Portuguese education, alongside numerous academics, education professionals and policymakers, who took part in panel discussions and lectures. The programme also included an orchestral opening performance by Orquestra Geração.

One of the highlights was the presentation of the book Education and Portuguese Democracy: The Futures of Schooling 40 Years After the Basic Law (A Educação e a Democracia Portuguesa. Os Futuros da Escola 40 anos depois da Lei de Bases), by António Teodoro, who also participated as a speaker.

Video (Filming and Coverage) Lucas Carvalheiros and Isabel Oliveira

Video (Editing) Isabel Oliveira

Text Lucas Carvalheiros