The Portuguese Parliament approved the revision of the Vocational Education Law by consensus yesterday.

The review "is of great importance, given the need to keep up with the dynamics" of the sector worldwide, said the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Daniel Nivagara.

The approved document gives the state's vocational training institutions financial and property autonomy, with the aim of ensuring quality education, he added.

Nivagara also pointed out that the law clarifies aspects of regulation and supervision, so that professional education can be guided effectively.

With this in mind, he pointed out that the supervision will pass to the Secretary of State for Professional Technical Education, and will no longer be exercised by the National Authority for Professional Education.

The proposal also calls for entry to vocational training to be made with the 9th grade as the minimum level of schooling, in line with the legal requirement of compulsory basic schooling.

Under the law still in force, entry to a technical-vocational training institution is possible from the 7th grade, noted Daniel Nivagara.

The revision will still have to be voted on in a special session to be scheduled.