Pombal’s Educational Reforms: The Foundation of Public Instruction in Portugal
Following the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1759, Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, the Marquis of Pombal, undertook sweeping reforms in education, aiming to modernize Portugal’s intellectual infrastructure and establish state-controlled public instruction. He sought to break the Jesuits' hold on education, replacing their scholastic methods with Enlightenment-inspired teaching based on observation and experience.
Key Educational Reforms Under Pombal
✔ Establishing a Public Education System
- Pombal took the first steps toward creating a national public school system, funded by a special tax.
- Schools were set up in major cities, marking a shift from religious to secular education.
✔ Founding of Specialized Schools
- Established Portugal’s first commercial school, focusing on economic and practical training.
- Promoted scientific and technical education, aligning Portugal with contemporary European intellectual trends.
✔ University of Coimbra Reforms
- Blaming the Jesuits for the university’s decline, Pombal reorganized the University of Coimbra to reflect Enlightenment values.
- Created two new departments:
- Mathematics, to advance scientific knowledge and engineering.
- Philosophy, emphasizing rationalism and empirical observation.
- Increased the number of professors in existing faculties.
✔ Modernizing Instructional Methods
- Implemented pedagogical changes based on the works of Luís António Verney and António Nunes.
- Shifted from rote learning to observational and experiential learning.
✔ Scientific and Cultural Advancements
- Established Portugal’s first natural history museum.
- Created a botanical garden for scientific research.
- Built an astronomical observatory, advancing astronomical studies in Portugal.
- Developed laboratories, integrating scientific experimentation into education.
Impact of Pombal’s Educational Reforms
✔ Laid the foundation for Portugal’s modern education system.
✔ Weakened the Church’s influence over education, replacing it with state-run schools.
✔ Introduced Enlightenment ideas into Portuguese academia, fostering scientific and economic progress.
✔ Established new research institutions, bridging Portugal with the broader European intellectual movement.
Conclusion: A Modernizer of Portuguese Education
Pombal’s educational reforms marked a decisive shift from Jesuit-dominated instruction to secular, state-controlled learning. By modernizing the University of Coimbra, founding new schools, and emphasizing science and rationalism, he paved the way for Portugal’s intellectual and economic modernization, leaving a lasting impact on the nation’s academic institutions.
