In the last two or three decades, the issue of accountability has been enclosed in the logic of the neoconservative and neoliberal single thought. It is therefore necessary to show that there are others alternatives. In this regard, this paper adopts a critical approach and briefly revisits the concept of accountability (that is, the interaction between evaluation, answerability and enforcement) in order to draw attention to the need for models that could be more democratic. By reference to this same question, the author indicates some trends underway in Portugal and other European countries.
Educational policies; Examinations and standardised tests; Neoliberal and neoconservative accountability; Alternative accountability