The (mis)education of African descendants in Portugal: Towards vocational traps?

The expansion of vocational tracks is among the recent transformations of the Portuguese educational system. This policy measure entails risks of increasing ethnoracial segregation and institutional racism, especially considering the lack of monitoring programmes and the historically high-grade retention rates of the educational system. The experience of African immigrants and their offspring in Portugal is marked by a long history of racism associated with colonialism. Drawing on official data from multiple sources for the period between 2008–09 and 2013–14, this article examines developments in ethno-racial segregation in the educational system. Massive grade retention rates and a major orientation towards vocational tracks are apparent among students of African descent. Differences in comparison with their peers of Portuguese origin are striking, even considering students from similar class backgrounds.