PORTUGAL

Escola Básica Rio Tinto is located in the city by the same name, in the suburbs of Porto. It is the main school (5th to 9th grades: 900 pupils, 90 teachers) of a cluster of 10 schools with a total of 1600 children & 160 staff. We also have special education teachers because we host a large group of students with disabilities & 2 psychologists working with us full time. Additionally, our cluster has been receiving immigrants from different parts of the globe more & more, which arises new problems, essentially inclusion. As this is a recurring situation in all European countries, we feel the need to share strategies and resolution findings with our peers. The curricula for our 5-9th graders (10-15 year-old) include Portuguese, Maths, Science, Chemistry, Geography, History, English, French, Spanish, Arts, PE, Music & Citizenship. The school offers after class clubs in the following areas: sports, arts, drama, solidarity, multimedia, astronomy/robotics, writing, first aid, civil protection and environment.

The cluster is located in a problematic urban area with some community neighbourhoods where drugs & poverty are a reality. The social level is low; most parents didn’t complete basic elementary education & live on social welfare while others work in the services sector. Most mothers choose to work outside the home which causes a serious lack of parent-child interaction, as children are left with grandparents or other members of the family. Many come from broken, one-parent or problematic families, so they don’t expect much from school or life. Our main objective is to prevent drop-out & show these teenagers alternative life paths, educating them to be reliable citizens & providing them with the basic knowledge that makes them feel part of the UE. Thus, we will show them work exits both nationally and abroad, by enhancing their understanding about the different heritages of each country and learning to deal with them, adapting their social behaviour.

Website: www.avert.pt

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