http://aemigueltorga.pt (PORTUGAL)
Agrupamento de Escolas Miguel Torga is in Bragança, an inland town of approximately 25 000 inhabitants, which distances 200 kms from Porto and 500 kms from the capital city, Lisbon. It is an institution which comprises children from kindergarten to high school (3-18) and there are around 90 teachers and 758 students. Three classes have dance and music integrated in their curriculum and besides regular students, we have students with special needs, learning difficulties, economic and social problems, some living in charities, and a class composed by students in risk of exclusion, such as gypsies. Together with the teachers, subject teachers and special needs teachers, we have a psychologist catering for the students’ needs. Our students are taught foreign languages since a very early age.
English is compulsory from year 3, but the school offers it from year 1, and French is provided to year 5 and 6 students. The school also provides extra lessons of Maths and Portuguese for years 5 and 6 students and national exam preparation for other years. English is the compulsory foreign language from year 3 and from year 7 on students can choose a second foreign language which can be either Spanish, French or German. In its education project the school seeks to develop a humanistic and integrative culture, associated to the search for students’ well-being and success in different areas, emphasizing the citizenship and solidarity dimensions, the development of social and communication skills and the openness to Europe and to its values.
Here students have as their main objectives to proceed the studies to university and, as this is a small town, to search for work either in other parts of the country, mainly big cities, abroad. As so, it is our aim to provide them with the tools and the skills to succeed in a globalised, changeable world and this project meets this objective by giving them the chance to work with teams from all over Europe, developing their 21st century skills and be prepared to face the real world.
