portugal launched a major reform on school leadership in which established three councils in schools the general council with representatives of school staff teachers parents and local authorities which is in charge of operational and strategic planning and monitoring and selecting the school leader the pedagogical council which supervises and coordinates pedagogical activities and the administrative council which is responsible for administrative and financial matters conditions for granting of an autonomy contract include a school selfevaluation and receiving a positive external school evaluation these contracts allow for greater autonomy in areas such as pedagogical organisation curriculum organisation human resources school social support and financial management