Destination Braga, Portugal, 41.5454° N, 8.4265° W

Braga is a city in northern Portugal, northeast of Porto.  It is known for its religious heritage and events.  In the city centre, medieval Braga Cathedral is home to a sacred art museum and the Gothic-style Kings' Chapel.

An enthusiastic team of 12 set out from BFEI to explore the idea of Inclusive Education, our aim was to gain a better understanding of:

•Multiculturalism in the classroom

•Inclusive education in disability – supporting autism and dyslexia

•Effective measures to target educational dropout

Day 1 Monday:

After a blissful sleep in our accommodation, Villa Garden, Braga, a converted mansion from the end of the 19th century and a wonderful breakfast of Portuguese delights we set out on our short journey to HI – a youth centre home to our training room for the next few days.  It was not long before we were introduced to the first of our two trainers from Braga mob – Adelino Jose Aguiar, or Lino as he prefers to be known.  Lino introduced us to the Portuguese Education system, 12 years of mandatory education in which the final three years can be completed with a view to attending University once finished or students can spend the three years in FET, gaining qualifications in vocational areas such as hairdressing, plumbing etc. while also completing their mandatory education.  Our second trainer for the week was Augostino Estevez, a teacher of Philosophy and Psychology, who introduced us to the idea of supporting Autism in the classroom, the main aim in Portugal is to make education inclusive for children with special needs.

Having finished our training, it was time to explore Braga.  A spot of lunch was had and as we broke into several groups, we each found our way around the city taking in some of the churches and gardens that Braga has to offer.

Day 2: Tuesday

With full tummies and excitement at the prospect of our trip to Porto scheduled for the afternoon we made our way to HI for day two of our training.  Today, Lino introduced us to the ‘Future Classroom’, a classroom divided into six different learning spaces, each highlighting specific areas of learning and teaching.  The spaces form a unique way to visualise a new, holistic view on teaching, the objective - to keep students connected, involved and challenged.  Augostino spoke to us about diagnosing students with dyslexia and how assessment of students is undertaken in Portugal.

Following our training, Porto called – we met our tour guide Valeria at the Mercado do Bolhao, where traditionally farmers came to sell their fruit and vegetables.  We had a three-hour walking tour of Porto learning about the modern architecture of the city.  A delicious meal followed in a traditional Portuguese restaurant by the name of A Taska before returning to our mansion in Braga.

Day 3 Wednesday

Lino had a given us a project using the idea of the future classroom.  Healthy competition prevailed, four groups of three set out to develop their project plan and present to the group.  The four topics devised were: Greener Tourism in Ireland, How to come up with a winning formula for the Eurovision Song Contest, An adaptive brief for an Interior Design project and finally from Team Green Velvet – How to live together in a Community.  Augostino explained the treatment of dyslexia in Portugal – education intervention, cognitive therapy, assistive technology, emotional support, and collaboration with schools.

Post training our group divided into small groups – some staff staying to explore Braga a little more, some opting for Porto to see the Dom Luis Bridge that spans the river Douro and take a trip in the cable cars while others opting for Porto decided to visit the modern art gallery.  A fantastic day followed by a delicious meal, this time T&C, Wow Restaurant providing the cuisine.

Day 4 Thursday

One final trek to HI for out last day of training.  A very interesting and interactive training session with Lino dominated the morning session.  Tasks undertaken to highlight pre-conceptions and pre-judgments we can make.  Sean proved to be a worthy winner of our first game matching job titles to photographs of 8 well known Portuguese citizens.  We also explored a ‘cross the line task’ and a ‘wall of words game’.  Our last session with Augostino focused on ways in which we could recognise students with dyslexia or autism.

One last afternoon to explore Braga and enjoy one last authentic Portuguese meal at Dom Augusto Restaurant before heading back to our hotel and pack for home.

Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable, informative trip had by all. Thanks to #Leargas, our Erasmus+ National Funding Agency and to our host agency @Bragamob for making the project a fantastic success!