Education funding in Portugal: a serious problem

Abstract

Despite the existing consensus on the role of education, particularly higher education, in development, countries do not always invest the necessary amount in it. This article shows the evolution of education funding in Portugal, comparing it with the EU and OECD averages, organizations to which the country belongs, over the last few decades, based on five indicators: education expenditure as a percentage of GDP; the weight of education expenditure in total public expenditure; the participation of the State and Households and Private Entities in education expenditure, as a percentage; annual state expenditure per student, at all educational levels and in higher education, including research, in PPP dollars; and the source of funding for public higher education institutions. The study concludes that public funding has fallen on average across both organizations, and particularly in Portugal. It is also evident that in Portugal, more so than the EU and OECD average, the State has brutally abdicated its responsibility in financing public higher education, forcing public higher education institutions to seek funding either from students, through tuition fees, or from the market, through research and training agreements, space and equipment rentals, and the sale of services. This highlights the strong privatization process of public higher education that is occurring in the country and which jeopardizes not only the academic autonomy of teachers but also the survival of public higher education institutions.