Public policies for school network planning in Portugal: changes in municipal responsibilities and choices

Abstract

Abstract The presentation of the Education charter in 2003 in Portugal as an instrument for future planning of school network represented the beginning of a different phase in public Education policies, seen as a necessary step towards the modernization of the primary school network. More than a decade later, at the start of a new cycle in public Education policies, a second phase of the reorganization of the public-school network began, with the revision of the Education charters. This paper aims to carry out a comparative analysis of these two periods, based on a qualitative research conducted in 34 municipalities in Central Portugal, featuring different realities, to identify the main differences and similarities and to determine the influence of territorial and human factors on the solutions adopted. It seems possible to conclude that new municipal actions have emerged that prioritize planning aimed at local specificities, in contrast to the previous approach, focused on compliance with central government stipulations.