Preventing early leaving from education and training remains a central priority within Portugal’s education policy, fully aligned with European efforts to reduce early school leaving and ensure that all young people complete a recognised education or training pathway. Portugal’s strategic approach is based on a combination of universal policies, targeted interventions for vulnerable learners, and strengthened mechanisms for diagnosis, prevention and multi‑agency cooperation.

National strategy

Portugal’s national strategy to prevent early leaving is articulated across legislation, inclusive education frameworks, and targeted measures that support vulnerable students. A central pillar is the National Programme for the Promotion of School Success (PNPSE), which supports schools in designing strategic action plans based on diagnosis, early intervention, and community participation 

The programme emphasises the leadership of schools in identifying needs, designing tailored measures and reinforcing pedagogical practices. Its action plans—implemented across nearly all school clusters—foster a preventive culture by strengthening monitoring, promoting differentiated instruction, and enhancing collaboration between teachers, families and local actors.

This national strategy is complemented by structural reforms such as the Inclusive Education legal framework, established by Decree‑Law 54/2018, which guarantees personalised support for learners with diverse needs and reinforces early identification mechanisms. Parallel to this, curriculum flexibility introduced by Decree‑Law 55/2018 enables schools to reorganise learning paths, integrate interdisciplinary methodologies and adapt provision to reduce the risk of disengagement. 

Together, these measures constitute a comprehensive national strategy promoting early identification, pedagogical innovation, inclusivity and strong community involvement.

Formal education: main policy measures on ELET

In the formal education system, early leaving is prevented through a combination of universal, selective and targeted measures. Universal measures include curriculum flexibility, strengthened formative assessment practices and enhanced tutorial support, all designed to detect learning difficulties early and support continuous progression.

Selective measures focus on groups of learners at higher risk—such as those with linguistic barriers, socio‑economic disadvantage or irregular attendance—and involve differentiated instruction, reinforced tutorial guidance, and more structured learning support plans.

Targeted interventions are embedded in priority areas through the Programme for Priority Intervention Educational Territories (TEIP4), aimed at school clusters in socio‑economically vulnerable contexts. TEIP schools develop improvement plans that address absenteeism, strengthen family‑school collaboration, reinforce behavioural support, and promote innovative pedagogical approaches. The programme operates under a model of positive discrimination, providing additional resources and monitoring structures, and has been repeatedly renewed and evaluated through annual and longitudinal reports.

At upper secondary level, flexible pathways—including scientific-humanistic, vocational and artistic options—enable students to shift routes when appropriate. Vocational education, managed in coordination with the Ministry of Labour, offers work-based learning, apprenticeships and dual certification routes, providing meaningful alternatives for students who might otherwise disengage.

Addressing ELET through non-formal and informal learning and quality youth work

Outside formal schooling, Portugal mobilises a wide range of initiatives in non‑formal education, youth work and community development. The most significant national instrument in this area is the Programme Escolhas, now in its 9th generation, promoting inclusion, educational success and community participation among vulnerable young people. Through locally coordinated projects, the programme supports digital inclusion, school engagement, arts‑based participation, transitions to training or employment, and structured mentoring. It also hosts specific measures such as OPRE (supporting Roma students) and UCAN (university scholarships).

Non‑formal learning initiatives complement school-based interventions by building motivation, social skills and resilience. These include mentorship programmes, community clubs, cultural and sports activities, and projects coordinated by civil society organisations and local youth structures.

Second‑chance pathways are further supported through Recognition, Validation and Certification of Competences (RVCC), which allow young adults who have left school to obtain formal qualifications through recognition of skills acquired outside formal settings. Although primarily aimed at adults, these processes contribute to reducing long‑term educational exclusion.

Cross-sector coordination and monitoring of ELET interventions

Preventing early leaving requires strong coordination across education, social affairs, labour and youth policies, matching Youth Wiki’s requirement for cross-sectoral descriptions. A central actor in the Portuguese system is the National Commission for the Promotion of the Rights and Protection of Children and Young People (CNPDPCJ), responsible for planning, coordinating and evaluating child protection interventions and for working with local Child and Youth Protection Commissions. Schools report cases of persistent absenteeism to local commissions, which assemble multidisciplinary teams to intervene with families and design appropriate support responses. 

Coordination also takes place through the national implementation of the Youth Guarantee (Garantia Jovem), which ensures that young people aged 15–29 receive an offer of employment, training, education or apprenticeship within four months of leaving school or becoming unemployed. Cooperation between the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour and a network of employment, training and social inclusion actors ensure diversified pathways for re‑engagement. 

Monitoring of ELET is supported through multiple mechanisms, including school administrative systems, TEIP annual evaluation cycles, national statistical reporting by Directorate‑General for Education and Science Statistics (DGEEC), labour force survey data, and CNPDPCJ’s annual activity reports. These systems provide timely and reliable information on absenteeism, attainment, progression and risk patterns, allowing for informed decision-making and continuous refinement of interventions.