initiative and 300.000 had received a school certificate. Curricular reforms MLR pushed public schools into vocational upper-secondary education, and from 2005 to 2009, the number of pupils attending vocational education grew from 30.000 to 126.000. As for basic education, nuclear subjects (Portuguese and Maths) were reinforced with an Action Plan for Maths and a National Reading Plan. Schools' modernization A National Secondary Schools Modernization Programme, run by Parque Escolar, was launched in 2007. The programme aims to rebuild more than 330 out of the 500 Portuguese public schools with secondary education. The first phases of the programme were assessed by the OECD. Schools' ICT capacity was boost by the 2007-2010 Technological Plan for Education. As a result of the plan, the ratio of pupils per computer with broadband connection fell from 18:1 in 2005 to 5:1 in 2009. 1-to-1 laptop distribution schemes for teachers and students were successfully deployed and acknowledged abroad. Post-ministerial career After the end of the ministerial job, in 2009, Maria de Lurdes Rodrigues went back to the university, where she led a new master's program in public policy. In the beginning of 2010, the Prime Minister appointed her President of the Luso-American Foundation. Maria de Lurdes Rodrigues is since 2018Rector of ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon (now in her 2nd term), a Portuguese public university. References External links Biography on Portugal.gov.pt 1956 births Living people Education ministers of Portugal Women government ministers of Portugal Academic staff of ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon