Portugal should undertake reforms in its universities and other post-secondary schooling institutions in order to catch up with European standards. This is the conclusion of an OECD review of the country’s tertiary education system, which is still to be published. While OECD recognises the expansion of Portugal’s tertiary sector over the last 20 years, it points to relatively low levels of participation and overall educational attainment. Also, OECD urges Portugal to invest more in the sector over the long term.

The advice includes also:

• establishing a high-level national Council on higher education, chaired by the Prime Minister and housed in the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education;
• more decentralisation, with the national Government focusing on strategic direction and giving institutions wide latitude for action;
• negotiating performance contracts with each institution, a vehicle for aligning institutions' missions to meet national goals for tertiary education.

The review also emphasises the importance of student social support systems, private contribution and access, improvement of quality and building excellence, outward orientation and external stakeholder involvement.

Those who are interested in the full report should regularly consult OECD’s website. OECD