Help our BGA kids to acces higher education in Portugal!

After they complete BGA our kids can go study anywhere in the world… except in Portugal. We want to change that with this grass roots initiative organised by BGA parents. Step 1 will be a meeting with the Portuguese Secretary of State. We will make a plea for our kids to be accepted in equal terms to any other Portuguese national/resident or EU applicant.

✅ Step 1 done: we met with the Ministry

On behalf of the parents of circa 550 Learners, we - Matthijs, Paulo and Pedro- met on October 10th with the Chief of Staff for the Deputy Minister for Education and six representatives of three General Directorates (DGE, DGAE, and DGEST). The dialog was amiable and respectful, but we couldn't find common ground to further the dialog.

The Ministry of Education, Science and innovation extended an invitation to discuss the college admission situation that mobilized so many of us in its offices, on October 10th (yesterday). We met with the Chief of Staff for the Deputy Minister for Education and six representatives of three General Directorates (DGE, DGAE, and DGEST).

The dialog was as amiable and respectful, as intended and expected. The meeting lasted for around 1h30m and we had ample chances to present and listen to concerns, and debate around considerations from both parties.

Discussion

In a nutshell, we, as representatives of ‘Parents of BGA’:

Highlighted what we perceive as a discriminatory situation: our children are blocked from applying to Portuguese universities on an equal footing with others, despite holding the same Cambridge-based qualifications - which constitutes a de facto discrimination
Seek a resolution to this situation that respects the rules but also calls for their revision to reflect emerging realities such as BGA’s, which has demonstrated academic success and growing traction among learners and parents - it should be nurtured, rather than clamped down

The Ministry’s representatives:

Stressed that BGA was not a school, as it was not accredited, and as such its ‘students’ did not meet the Portuguese college application criteria; adding that the main hurdle was a failure to comply to legal requirements on: facilities, on-site education, and teacher qualifications
Elaborated around the process for EU-based students to be granted equivalence to the Portuguese system - a pre-requisite for college application in Portugal
Shared that the Ministry’s position is supported by court-of-law, which further sustains the current standing of requiring BGA to comply to the requirements currently laid out in the law

Not finding common ground to further the dialog, the meeting was gracefully adjourned.

Take-away and Considerations

The Ministry’s position was that BGA has a way forward: comply to the existing legal framing, thus becoming an accredited school; stating that it is available and committed to support BGA in any possible way as to do so.

This was a genuine effort by the Ministry to listen to the concerns we had expressed in the letter. At the same time, an occasion to establish the Ministry’s legal legitimacy to hold ground.

That said, from the perspective that really matters - which is to secure an equitable access and competition among University candidates - the discrimination is real: with the same diplomas, our children are barred from applying to Universities in Portugal whereas others have a clear path ahead.

We see it as the State’s responsibility to correct the situation we currently face, given that BGA is operating with its implicit approval since around three years, to this date.

Way forward

We structured the approach laid out on September 11th. Step 1 is complete: we met the Ministry and established where the situation stands; the feedback was a confirmation of the challenges we have identified. As such, the approach remains valid.

Moving forward, we will be evaluating potential actions and their implications, aiming to consult our broader community before deciding on any given course of action.

✅ Step 2 done: hosting online brainstorm on how to create waves

To determine what the next steps should be in order to get more momentum and attention for our cause, we organised an online brainstorm with fellow parents to determine the way forward.

Key Agreed Goals

Accreditation for BGA's Current Educational Model
We aim to have BGA’s educational model accredited in Portugal as it stands, allowing for a legal framework that would recognize the online/hybrid model as part of the formal education system. This has already been under consideration in legislation, so our goal is to advocate for its actual implementation.

Immediate Access for Students to Portuguese Universities
We also agreed on a transitional goal to ensure BGA students can:

Apply to Portuguese universities as early as the next academic year, and
Have their Cambridge International Curriculum milestones (IGCSEs and A-Levels) recognized as equivalent to Portuguese standards, until a long-term solution is fully enacted.
This transitional solution would help mitigate the impact of the current gap, which we believe has been poorly managed by the state, affecting BGA students’ academic hard-work and achievements

Actions to Be Taken

Petition and Awareness Campaign (Action A)
We will launch a petition to formally present our objectives, gathering as much support as possible from extended BGA community and anyone who is interested in justice and in furthering education options in Portugal.
Matthijs Jaspers has volunteered to lead this effort, aiming to maximize the petition’s visibility and impact, including the option of using it to support a possible future legal action if necessary.

Engagement with Parliamentary Parties (Action B)
We’ll approach influential parliamentary groups to raise awareness and seek their backing for a solution that aligns with our goals. Pedro Almeida has volunteered to take charge here, focusing on engaging with parties who have the power to impact legislative processes and encouraging them to support our cause.

European Union Involvement (Pending)
For now, we’re holding off on taking this to the EU, pending the results of the above actions. If necessary, we’ll consider this route as the situation evolves.

Additional Points

Resource Allocation and Volunteer Time
We discussed our ambitions in light of available resources, including voluntary time from parents. No specific budget was discussed, but if any costs arise, we’ll revisit this and address it as a group.

Step 3: organizing the petition

We are focusing our attention and resources on petitioning the Portuguese Government to address our claims. We’re also seeking political support by engaging with a couple of parliamentary groups.

The petition’s text is now nearly finalized.

Our goal is to gather at least 7,500 endorsements, which is the minimum required for the petition to be presented and discussed in a plenary session at the Assembleia da República.

This target is approximately 14 times the number of endorsements we secured earlier (~550). To achieve this, we must go bigger and stronger. Moreover, the more endorsements we gather, the stronger our case becomes, politically speaking.

Here are some strategies we’ve identified to achieve this:

Mobilize the BGA Community: Encourage family, friends, acquaintances, and your professional network to support this cause. Every endorsement counts.
Onboard progressive educational entities: Their support and outreach can significantly boost our petition’s visibility.
Secure media coverage: A wider reach through media can result in a substantial increase in endorsements.
Tap into digital communities: Engage with online groups that are passionate about educational advancements and likely to support our cause.
Engage professional entities and associations: A parallel approach to involve organizations that can lend credibility and reach.

We need your active support

Reaching all these fronts is too much for one or two people. But together, we can make it manageable.

Here’s how you can help:

Mobilize the BGA Community: We need volunteers to actively reach out to our hubs and ensure a strong response from our core community.
Engage with entities and communities (points 2–5): Volunteers are needed to connect with educational organizations, media, digital communities, and professional associations to amplify our reach.

The impact of what we’re doing could be significant and positively transformative.

Please consider stepping forward to volunteer for any of the above efforts. The more of us contribute, the lighter the load for each individual.

The form will remain open for the next 5 days (until November 27, inclusive). We will contact those who express interest within the week to discuss details.

What's this about?

Most of you are likely aware that BGA Learners currently cannot apply to Portuguese Universities due to a bureaucratic issue: BGA lacks accreditation and, therefore, cannot provide the required high school grade file for applications.

Under Portuguese law, International GCSE and A-Levels are equivalent to high-school diplomas. Students from any accredited school in Portugal or from any EU country use these to meet university application requirements.

Since these exams are designed, administered, and graded by independent entities (Pearson and Cambridge) rather than schools, it makes no sense to restrict their acceptance based on school accreditation. Notably, accreditation is irrelevant for EU students applying to Portuguese universities.

This bureaucratic hurdle results in discrimination against our children. There are no academic criteria preventing them from applying, especially when the same diplomas are accepted for everyone else.

We want to bring this to the Ministry’s attention, as concerned parents and residents in Portugal, seeking a meeting to present our position and demand a solution for it. It goes without saying that the greater our representation, the stronger our claim and position will be perceived. That is why we want to invite you to join the initiative if you share the concern and wish to be a part in solving our children’s situation.

Who we are

We are a small group of concerned parents that decided to take action on this rather absurd situation, to keep our kids' options as open as they are for any other student, as it rightfully should be. Beyond our children’s welfare, we are also moved by contributions to the success of valuable initiatives to offer educational options, such as BGA’s, and to do away with nonsensical practices in our Public Administration.

Download the presentation

Wednesday September 11th we organized a webinar with 100+ parents where we presented our case and answered questions from parents. Click here to download this presentation.