Portuguese music education occurs in two branches: general and specialized. The specialized subsystem is also subdivided into vocational schools (conservatories and music academies) and professional schools. Although different in nature and organization, vocational and professional schools have several goals in common. In the first part, this article contextualizes the historical development of the vocational branch, from the creation of the first Portuguese conservatory (in Lisbon in 1835) until the present day. It describes the emergence of professional schools in the 1990s and, finally, it questions the concept of “vocational schools” itself. In the second part, the article describes the structural reform initiated in 1983 by Law-Decree nr. 310/83, underlining its unquestionable contribution to the improvement of public music education in Portugal. The last part of the article presents a summary of the main effects of this reform in the present situation of specialized music schools.
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13.
Despacho nr. 15 897/2009. (2nd series). (2009, 13July). It alters Despacho nr. 17 932 (2008, 3 July) concerning the financing values and it reissues the alteration grid in an annex.
14.
Despacho nr. 17 932/2008. (2nd series). (2008, 3July). It approves the new financing model for the private and cooperative specialized schools of music.
15.
Despacho nr. 17 168/2011. (2011, 23December). It extinguishes Law-Decree nr. 6/2001 (2001, 18 January), abandoning the concept of competences as the center of the curriculum in favor of the concept of contents.
16.
Despacho nr. 65/SERE/90. (1984, 23October). It introduces alterations to Map II, annex to Portaria nr. 294/84 (1984, 17 May); to Map II, annex to Despacho nr. 76/SEAM/85 (1985, 9 October); and to Maps I, II, III and IV, annex to Despacho nr. 78/SEAM/85 (1985, 9 October). It makes the implementation of the study plans of the basic and secondary courses compulsorily similar in all specialized music schools of the country.
17.
Despacho nr. 76/SEAM/85. (1985, 9October). It approves the study plans of the basic and secondary music courses of the supplementary attendance regime.
18.
Law-Decree nr. 18 461. (1930, 14June). It fuses the Music and the Theater Conservatories into one single institution under the same administration.
19.
Law-Decree nr. 18 881. (1930, 25September). It restructures the National Conservatory and defines the study plans of music and theater education.
20.
Law-Decree nr. 209/2002. (2002, 17October). It alters the publication of Law-Decree nr. 6/2001 (2001, 18 January) and it establishes the orienting principles of the organization and management of the Basic School curriculum.
21.
Law-Decree nr. 26/1989. (1989, 21January). It creates Professional Schools.
22.
Law-Decree nr. 310/83. (1983, 1July). It integrates arts education into the general system of education through the conversion of Music Conservatories into specialized basic and secondary schools, and it creates the Higher Education Music Schools [Escolas Superiores de Música] within the polytechnic system of education.
23.
Law-Decree nr. 344/90. (1990, 2November). It establishes the basis of artistic education in pre-school, school and out of school contexts.
24.
Law-Decree nr. 6/2001. (2001, 18January). It approves the curricular organization of the Basic School, establishing the orienting principles of the organization and management of that school level as well as of the evaluation of the learning process and of the development of the national curriculum.
25.
Law-Decree nr. 70/93. (1993, 10March). It regulates Professional Schools and it extinguishes Law-Decree nr. 26/89 (1989, 21 January).
26.
Portaria nr. 1550/2002. (2002, 26December). It issues the study plans of the Basic School degrees of the Specialized System of Music and Dance Education in the articulated regime of attendance. It also lists the conditions for admission, class organization, progression, evaluation and certification for students in the articulated regime of attendance.
27.
Portaria nr. 294/84. (1984, 17May). It approves the study plans of the General Music Courses at the unified preparatory and secondary levels, as well as the Complementary Course study plans for the secondary level of education.
