Education policies-youth formation: tension and contradictions

Abstract

In December 2005, the Portuguese government launched what can be considered its most emblematic program in the field of education and training: the New Opportunities Initiative. Although the program is aimed at youthand adults, this article only discusses the measures and actions aimed at youth. It demonstrates that, on one hand they seek to respond to goals set by the European Union in 2000 at the Lisbon Summit. On the other hand, the Portuguese option emphasizes professional courses as the target of government action. This represents a triumph of a vocational concept that sees educationas a "key to economic growth, more employment and social cohesion", but which neglects the discussion of its role in the process of selective democratization of secondary educationand in the production of "sweet" for-ms of educational exclusion.