Private Schools Dominate National Rankings as Public Schools Slip

Private institutions dominated the latest national school rankings based on data from the Ministry of Education (Ministério da Educação), with the top public school dropping to 38th place from 33rd last year. Results on national exams (exames nacionais) for the 9th grade showed higher marks concentrated in major coastal cities, while failing grades increased among public school students. A study by the Católica Porto business school and newspaper Público concluded that private schools generally do not inflate internal continuous assessment marks, challenging a long-held perception.