The XII Annual Education Conference of Setúbal took place at the Luísa Todi Municipal Forum, under the theme "Learning in a whirlwind: transforming the school in times of change". The event, organized by the Municipality of Setúbal, brought together specialists, researchers, teachers and other members of the educational community to reflect on current challenges in teaching.
The Vice-President of the Municipality of Setúbal, Maria do Carmo Tiago, opened the meeting by defending that technology should serve education, never the other way around. She highlighted artificial intelligence as an example of the transformations underway, noting both the opportunities and the risks of creating new inequalities. The mayor emphasized that the transformation of the school cannot mean abandoning the fundamental principles of Education, namely as a space for knowledge, equal opportunities and citizenship, and defended the need to ensure that all children have the conditions to learn.
Maria do Carmo Tiago also emphasized the importance of an inclusive school and Setúbal's vision as an Educating City, where education happens not only in school, but also in libraries, museums, sports facilities, associations and families. João Couvaneiro, from the Pedagogical Innovation Department of Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, gave the talk "From School to the Educating City", defending that the educational system should serve students and that inclusion is an inseparable element of Education.
The conference included panels on the state of education in Portugal, with interventions by Daniel Carvalho (EDULOG), Vítor Teodoro (Universidade Nova de Lisboa) and Nuno Dorotea (Universidade de Lisboa). The afternoon programme featured presentations on AI and teaching practice, Tumo schools and school organization in semesters. António Nóvoa, emeritus professor at the University of Lisbon, presented "Journey through Schools of Portugal". The Vice-President also recalled the planned investments in school infrastructure, including the renovation of the Barbosa du Bocage and Aranguez basic schools, the du Bocage Secondary School and the Azeitão Basic School.