The National Council of Education was created in 1982, by Decree-Law nr. 125/82, dated from the 22nd of April, as a higher consulting body of the then Ministry of Education and Universities, with the purpose of “proposing measures that [may ensure] the permanent adaptation of the education system to the interests of the Portuguese citizens”.

 

In 1987, it was created by the Portuguese Parliament (Law nr. 31/87, dated from the 9th of June) with the same matrix that still characterises it today, as a body with consulting functions and wide representation, with a high level of independence and oriented towards the creation of consensus. The president is no longer a representative of the Minister and started to be elected by the Portuguese Parliament by overall majority of the effective members. The composition of the Council is non-governmental, and its scope of representation opened up to other agents of society.

 

In the following year, in 1988, some adjustments were made according to the recommendations offered by experience, namely those related to the functioning of the Permanent Committee (Decree-Law nr. 89/88, dated from the 10th of March) and to the creation of the Administrative Council, which enables the operationalisation of competencies resulting from its statute of administrative and financial autonomy (Decree-Law nr. 423/88, dated from the 14th of November).

 

Other adjustments were introduced in 1991, 1996 and 2005 but without ever changing the 1987 matrix institutionalised by the Portuguese Parliament.