Excerpt from Health-promoting schools: a resource for developing indicators, (2006) Schools for Health Europe, Amsterdam
Gregória Paixão von Amann Proposed assessment of the national situation of health-promoting schools in Portugal pp 132-138
Portugal entered the ENHPS in 1994 with a pilot project. In 1997 it was agreed to enlarge the network in the country. The Ministry of Health and the Ministry ofEducation developed a partnership focusing on health promotion. A National Support Centre was established and priorities for the work were established. In 2001 the health-promoting schools projects, implemented in 3407 schools and 265 health centres, were evaluated, showing well-established partnerships at the community level and good health-promoting schools developments in schools. In 2005, the government considered health promotion a priority, and a protocol based on the existing legislation concerning the sectors of education and health
was drawn up. In February 2006, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education signed a protocol agreeing to develop standards of partnership, mainly by establishing support structures at national, regional and local levels. The protocol also
anticipates the elaboration of a national strategy on implementing the principles and dimensions of a health-promoting school as well as evaluating this implementation and its impact on the educational system, health system and the community.
The evaluation will also focus on the contribution of the implementation of health-promoting schools principles to the ongoing process of improving school effectiveness.