The concept of pre-school education in portugal through theoretical framework

In Portugal, Early Childhood Education (ECE) plays a leading role in the de- velopment of children in all areas and domains. Fortunately and eventually, in the first years of the 21st century a consensual thesis has been reached. ECE attendan- ce is no longer considered a luxury and has become itself a right for everyone, a precondition for enriched development, which enhances the democratic principle of equality of opportunity, both in access and in educational success throughout life. In Portugal ECE is intended for children from three years until their entry into compulsory schooling, in other words, in the 1st year of the 1st Cycle of Basic Education (Law No 5/97, of 10th February). This is the first stage of basic educa- tion in the process of lifelong education. It became universal for 4-year-old chil- dren from the school year 2016/2017 (Law No. 65/2015), which changed another Law that established the compulsory schooling regime and which contemplated the universality of early childhood education from the year children reach five ye- ars. Nowadays ECE is for all children from the year they reach four years old. The universality implies an obligation for the State to ensure the existence of an early childhood education network that allows the enrolment of all the children covered by it and also that this attendance is free of charge for the educational component.