History

In May 1936, at the invitation of Professor Fernando Bissaya Barreto, a group of French nuns arrived in Coimbra to assume responsibility for the Ninho dos Pequenitos and related welfare institutions, including a dispensary, a maternity unit and, subsequently, a nursery and kindergarten and the Casa da Criança. This initiative gave rise to the concept of establishing an educational institution grounded in medical-social knowledge, aimed at promoting sustained, informed and structured educational and welfare interventions.

In 1937, the Escola Normal Social “A Saúde” was founded in Coimbra through the initiative of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary, with the support of Professor Bissaya Barreto, then President of the Provincial Council of Beira Litoral. The establishment of the School responded to the pressing need for the professional training of specialists in the medical-social field, particularly to address the deficiencies identified in maternal and child welfare services.

Several legal and administrative instruments are particularly relevant to the historical development of the Instituto Superior Miguel Torga. Decree-Law No. 30,135 of 14 December 1939 formally ratified the social training schools operating at national level, as well as their respective curricula. In 1940, the Ministry of National Education granted the Alvará (No. 312 of 18 September), authorizing the operation of the Normal School of Social Welfare under the responsibility of the Provincial Council of Beira Litoral.

Decree-Law No. 40,678 of 10 July 1956 authorized the establishment of schools for the training of social workers within the framework of private higher education institutions, while also defining the structure of the courses offered and the professional status of social workers. Subsequently, by ministerial order of 29 March 1962, the Social Work programme offered by the Normal School of Social Welfare was officially recognized as a higher education course.

Further institutional developments included the authorization, by ministerial order of 17 December 1964, for the admission of male students, and the approval, by ministerial order of 16 March 1965, of the change in designation to Instituto de Serviço Social de Coimbra. This designation was later amended to Instituto Superior de Serviço Social de Coimbra by ministerial order of 12 June 1969.

Ordinance No. 15/90 of 9 January formally recognized the Instituto Superior de Serviço Social de Coimbra (ISSSC), under the authority of the District Assembly of Coimbra. Subsequently, Ordinance No. 1144/90 of 20 November conferred official recognition of the licentiate degree awarded by the Social Work programmes of the Higher Institutes of Social Work of Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra.

Finally, Decree-Law No. 12/98 of 24 January approved the change of the institution’s name to Instituto Superior Miguel Torga.