The administration and governance of education and training in Portugal are organised centrally through the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI).

The restructuring of the MECI, which began in September 2025, aims to ensure a simpler, more coordinated, efficient and transparent organisation of the education system, to enable more decentralised and less bureaucratic management, to strengthen the autonomy of schools and, at the same time, to ensure greater equality of opportunity and to strengthen the link between science and innovation. To this end, transversal and sector-specific bodies have been established.

Currently, the direct administration of the MECI comprises the following transversal departments:

• General Inspectorate of Education and Science (Inspeção-Geral da Educação e Ciência - IGEC)
• Directorate-General for Education and Science Statistics (Direção-Geral de Estatísticas da Educação e Ciência - DGEEC)
• Directorate-General for Research, Planning and Evaluation (DGEPA)

The General Inspectorate of Education and Science’s mission is to ensure the legality and regularity of actions taken by services and departments of the MECI or subject to the supervision of the government members, as well as monitoring, auditing, and supervising the education system. This includes pre-school and school education, the latter comprising basic, upper secondary and higher education, as well as special types of education, out-of-school education, science and technology and of the bodies, services and departments of the Ministry.

The Directorate-General for Education and Science Statistics’ mission is a) to ensure the production and statistical analysis of data on education and science, providing technical support for policy formulation and strategic and operational planning; b) to establish and ensure the smooth operation of the MECI’s integrated information system; c) to monitor and evaluate, in broad terms, the results achieved by the education, science and technology systems, in coordination with the other departments of the MECI.

The Directorate-General for Studies, Planning and Evaluation (DGEPA) is a new transversal body within the MECI’s areas of activity, providing technical support for the definition of strategic priorities and educational policies. Its aim is to ensure technical and operational coherence, as well as an effective capacity for decision-making support. Its mission is also to promote, in coordination with other MECI departments and bodies, the monitoring and evaluation of public policies, ensuring a comprehensive overview. Among other responsibilities, it is tasked with conducting and commissioning studies to formulate strategic priorities, providing support for the development of educational programmes or policy measures, and designing tools for the planning, monitoring and evaluation of policies implemented within the MECI, as well as consolidating functions in the field of international relations. In addition, the DGEPA is responsible for budgetary coordination, ensuring the oversight of the preparation, implementation and monitoring of the MECI’s budgetary programmes. The DGEPA is a central service of the direct administration of the State, endowed with administrative autonomy, established by Decree-Law No. 101/2025, 8 September.

With regard to sectoral organisation, the following public institutes with special status have been established, forming part of the State’s indirect administration and having administrative and financial autonomy:

•    Agency for the Management of the Education System (Agência para a Gestão do Sistema Educativo - AGSE, I.P.)

•    Institute for Education, Quality and Evaluation (Instituto de Educação, Qualidade e Avaliação - EduQA, I.P.)

•    Institute for Higher Education, I.P. (Instituto para o Ensino Superior - IES, I.P.)

The Agency for the Management of the Education System (AGSE, I.P.) was established by Decree-Law No. 99/2025, 28 August, with the aim of centralising the management of the sector’s human, financial, property and administrative resources. These responsibilities were previously assigned to the Directorate-General for School Administration (DGAE), the Directorate-General for Educational Establishments (DGEstE), the Institute for Financial Management in Education (IGeFE) and the Secretariat-General for Education and Science (SGEC), all of which have since been abolished. With the creation of AGSE, the aim is for the Central Administration to have a single point of contact for pupils, teachers and schools. The Agency’s statutes were approved by Ministerial Order No. 296-A/2025/1, 5 September.

The Institute for Education, Quality and Evaluation (EduQA, I.P.) was established by Decree-Law No 105/2025, 12 September, with the aim of enhancing consistency and effectiveness in curriculum development, external pupil assessment and the modernisation of education policies. EduQA:

- ensures the implementation of educational policies in the pedagogical and didactic aspects of education for children aged 0 to 6, primary and secondary education, including specialised arts education and vocational education, adult education and extra-school education, promoting student learning and improving educational quality, whilst providing technical support for policy formulation;

- monitors and tracks the implementation of these policies, guiding schools and teachers towards inclusive and innovative pedagogical practices, particularly in the context of digital transition and artificial intelligence, and encouraging both the provision of dual-certification programmes at non-higher education level and high-quality, relevant initial and lifelong education for all citizens, regardless of their age;

- oversees the management of external assessment of pupils’ learning in primary and secondary education, specifically the planning, design and validation of assessment tools, the coordination of the administration of tests and examinations, as well as the relevant regulations and logistics, and the coordination of national participation in international external assessment studies;

- promotes reading and supports the School Library Network (RBE) and the National Reading Plan (PNL).

EduQA brings together under a single body the responsibilities of the Institute for Educational Assessment (IAVE), the Directorate-General for Education (DGE – including the National Reading Plan and the School Library Network) and the National Agency for Qualifications and Vocational Education (ANQEP)’s responsibilities in relation to educational matters. EduQA also enjoys pedagogical and scientific autonomy.

The Institute for Higher Education, I.P. (IES, I.P.) was established by Decree-Law No 109/2025, 25 September, as well as its structure, with the aim of bringing together within a single body all the responsibilities incumbent upon the State in its dealings with the Higher Education System. These responsibilities were previously assigned to the Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES) and the ERASMUS+ National Agency. Its mission is to ensure the implementation and coordination of policies in the field of higher education, including financial aspects, the management of the Education and Training sectors of the Erasmus+ Programme in Portugal, and the promotion of the internationalisation of education, the participation in international networks and to attract international students.

Furthermore, the creation of IES, I. P., also responds to the need to provide the education administration with a more agile, cohesive and well-prepared structure to keep pace with the dynamic and constant transformation of higher education, strengthening functional specialisation, the development of its professionals and the capacity for strategic action in crucial areas, such as internationalisation, funding and the integration of public policies.

According to the Law in force, the MECI’s advisory bodies are:

• National Council of Education (Conselho Nacional de Educação - CNE)
• Schools Council (Conselho das Escolas - CE)
• Coordinating Council for Higher Education (Conselho Coordenador do Ensino Superior - CCES)
• National Council of Science, Technology and Innovation (Conselho Nacional de Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação)

As an independent advisory body, the National Council of Education’s mission is promoting the participation of different social, cultural and economic forces in search of a broad consensus on education policy.

The School Council represents schools to the MECI regarding the definition of policies concerning pre-school, basic and upper secondary education.

The Coordinating Council for Higher Education’s mission is to advise the government member responsible for higher education.

The National Council of Science, Technology and Innovation's mission is to advise the government in transversal areas of science and technology with regard to mid- to long-term policy decisions and national strategies.

The following institution is also part of the MECI:

• Lisbon Academy of Sciences (Academia das Ciências de Lisboa)

The Lisbon Academy of Sciences’ mission is to advise the government regarding language. It works alongside the Academia Brasileira de Letras (Brazilian Academy of Letters) and the network of global and European Academies, including countries where Portuguese is the official language and Portuguese centres abroad.

The Ministry of Labour, Solidarity, and Social Security (MTSSS) is responsible for defining and implementing policies regarding the modernisation of labour relations, as well as for vocational training policies. The abovementioned ministry, through the Employment and Vocational Training Institute (Instituto de Emprego e Formação Profissional - IEFP), and in cooperation with social partners, is responsible for youth and adult education and training and for employment and vocational training centres. 

The Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, together with the Ministry of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, oversees the Agency for Research and Innovation – AI2, E.P.E. (which resulted from the merger of ANI – National Innovation Agency, S.A. and FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology). The main mission of AI2, E.P.E., is to develop initiatives aimed at promoting, funding and evaluating science, research, the valorisation of knowledge, technological development and innovation in all their dimensions, including science and technology-based business in Portugal. 

Following a restructuring process of Parque Escolar, E.P.E. (established in 2007), since June 2023 the latter has been renamed Construção Pública, E.P.E. In addition to its responsibilities relating to the refurbishment, upkeeping and maintenance of secondary schools under the School Facilities Modernisation Programme for Secondary Education, Construção Pública E.P.E is also responsible for the construction of social housing (Decree-Law No. 42/2023, 5 June).