Portugal, a multicultural society in a comparative study

1. Portugal, a multicultural society in a comparative study Helena Gião University of Lisbon Faculty of Science Department of Education helenagiao@netcabo.pt ____________________________________________ Diversity and Global Education Conference, University of Helsinki, April 25-26, 2008

2. Introduction - some dilemmas and dimensions • In Portugal, similar to what happened and/or is happening in many other countries, it is in the institutionalization of the right of everyone to educational and school equal opportunities of access and educational success that are based on the measures and actions that seek to respond positively to multiculturalism. (C.Leite, O Currículo e o Multiculturalismo no Sistema Educativo Português, 2002)

3. The apparent simplicity of the term multiculturalism vs. the complexity of the contemporary societies and the cultural dynamic • The importance and influence of the minorities within the major societies

4. A society experiencing major change from emigration toimmigration __Emigration __Immigration __Illegal emigration (Source:INE, 2000)

5. Numbers of foreigners legally resident at the end of the 20th century (about 4% of the total population*): • Natural of the countries of the European Union - 27% • Cape Verdean - 23% • Other Portuguese speaking countries -19% • Brazilian – 11%. * Total population: 10,369, 412 (Source: INE, 1999 Census)

6. The historical antecedents of the Portuguese and the understanding of the importance of the intercultural perspective • Portugal was one of the first European nations to have its borders established (early in the 13th century). • The Portuguese have many multicultural origins and a tradition of travelling and establishing settlements worldwide over the centuries. • They exemplify intercultural citizens in Europe.

7. Educational ideologies in Portugal in post-revolutionary times (i)The critical and democratising phase – (erupted with the 25th April, 1974 revolution – the Carnation revolution) - discourse highly politicised but more concerned with democracy and freedom than with ethnic diversity. (ii)The democratic phase - (late 1970s and early 1980s) – introduction of new legislation and development of democratic stability. (iii) The modernisation phase - (1980s) - the Comprehensive Law of Education System (issued in 1986) initiated a long succession of reforms, legal acts and new national syllabi that were implemented and reviewed in the following two decades. (iv)The inclusion phase – (from the 1990s until today) – considered the main turning point for intercultural education in Portugal. (J. Correia, As Ideologias em Portugal nos últimos 25 Anos, 1999)

9. Multicultural and citizenship education in national syllabi and curriculum guidelines • Basic education – although multicultural and citizenship education are amongst the aims of the national syllabi, the guidelines are less specific than in secondary education. • Secondary education – national syllabi give more detail on these issues and are rich in recommendations.

10. Conclusions • Multicultural, intercultural and citizenship aspects of education have been gradually strengthened throughout the last two decades. • They are also an expression of the development of this young democracy and her facing up to new challenges. • However, there is still a gap between the ideal and the reality as well as between exceptional practices and common practices.

11. My questions • How can school face the situations arising out of the multiculturalism of societies positively? • How to ensure processes beyond the “tourist” logic of organization and development of the curriculum? • How to organize teacher training courses in order to reverse this trend?

12. Changes and Challenges “Change comes from small initiatives which work … We cannot wait for great visions from great people, for they are in short supply … it is up to us to light our own small fires in the darkness.” (C. Handy, The Empty Raincoat: Making Sense of the Future, 1994)

13. Thank you for listening Questions and comments?

14. This was a presentation based on our PhD research being developed at the moment. The study proposes to compare Portuguese and Finnish schools to examine their contexts and conditions of governability stressing similarities and differential characteristics. It also highlights the organizational and curricular options leading to the construction of citizenship in a global educational environment.