A Short View On History

Situated a few hundred yards from Alverca’s railway station, the School (ESGC) has as its close neighbors: Pedro Jacques de Magalhães (Junior High), Centro de Emprego e Formação Profissional (Employment and Technical Training Center) and Infante D. Pedro (High School).

        The Escola Secundária de Gago Coutinho was founded in July of 1969 as section of Escola Industrial e Comercial de Vila Franca de Xira by appointment of José Hermano Saraiva, Minister of Education at the time.

        The temporary facilities on Infante D. Pedro Avenue, in Alverca, were installed in August of 1969, thanks to the commitment of the OGMA – Aeronautical Material General Facilities and their headmasters.

        In 1972, this section became self managing which lead to the creation of the Gago Coutinho’s technical school.

        Between 1981 and 1982 this institution started to function permanently in its present buildings, located at Rua Heróis da Aviação, at Alverca.

        From 1984 to 1991, it was renamed as Escola Secundária nº 1 de Alverca. According to a Ministerial dispatch (Portaria nº 1089/89 of 24 October), this school carries the name of Gago Coutinho (a famous Portuguese aviator who crossed South Atlantic Ocean at 1922, for the first time in the world).

        The School teaches both day and night courses. During the day, the School offers the CSOPE and CSPOVA (high school courses oriented mainly towards pursuit of a college education or working life, respectively). Among these, students can find Electronics, Electro-technical and Mechanical courses.

        In the night courses, Junior and High School “Ensino Recorrente por Unidades Capitalizáveis” (Appellant Teaching by Capitalizable Modules) are taught.

        Two of these are related to the teaching of mechanics (Technical Courses for Mechanical Drafters and for Mechanical Maintenance) being that the last of them, is a creation of Mechanical Department of ESGC, with six hours of shop practice, which is a particularity of this School and exists no where else in the Country.

        All the subjects, which are related among them based on similarities between their contents, are grouped in eight Departments.

        Currently the School has 178 teachers, 60 administrative and teaching support workers, 1500 students in day classes and 600 in night classes.

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