The President of the Government highlighted today the absolute tranquillity at the beginning of the new school year 2017/2018 in the Azores. This situation is partly due to the timely placement of the necessary teachers in various regional schools.
"The first idea that I would like to share with you and that demonstrates the beginning of this school year is the idea tranquillity in a series of processes and procedures that were launched and changed this year; nonetheless the school year started normally in the Azores," said Vasco Cordeiro.
The President of the Government spoke at Ponta Garça Basic Education School at a session to mark the beginning of the school year 2017/2018. This year, there are more than 43,500 students enrolled in 40 regional school establishments, where 5,000 teachers and nearly 3,000 non-teaching staff members will work.
In his speech, Vasco Cordeiro highlighted the legislative changes introduced to teaching applications and the "timely placement of teachers in schools" as well as the increase of human resources to support the Regional Education System in areas such as Psychology, Speech Therapy, Special Education and Rehabilitation, among others. According to him, there are more than 150 senior technicians at the service of Azorean students.
"I am also mentioning something that we have accomplished in this school year, which is the extension of the school book loan system ton 12th form in all regional schools. This is a quite relevant social support measure," noted the government official.
Vasco Cordeiro ensured that the "students and the conditions for educational success are the main criterion that guides the Government's actions." In this context, the President of the Government announced that, under ProSucesso, the programme designated as "PROF DA - Qualified Teachers in Solving Learning Difficulties" in Math will be extended to the Middle School level. It will also comprise comprise the subject of Portuguese. In an initial stage, it will cover twelve regional schools.
With regard to "More Support - Zero Failure" programme, an initiative implemented in the school year 2015/2016, the government official revealed that will now cover more years of schooling. The programme will be expanded at Ponta Garça School, taking into account the good results achieved in terms of school failure.
Moreover, the President of the Government announced the implementation of the Community Intervention Project "Educational Success - School, Community, Family" in the municipality of Vila Franca do Campo, covering a universe of 1,730 students, 200 teachers and several local partners, including the Town Hall. The initiative was firstly implemented in the municipality of Lagoa in the school year 2016/2017 with the involvement of several entities.
"In the school year that ended, this project included the municipality of Lagoa and contributed to a sharp reduction of school failure in three schools. This is the case of Lagoa Basic Education School, with a decrease of 27 percent, Lagoa Secondary School, with a reduction of 42 percent, and Água de Pau Basic Education School, where the school failure dropped 50 percent," said the President of the Government.
Regarding investments in the school buildings, Vasco Cordeiro recalled the major interventions underway in Calheta School on São Jorge Island and in Canto da Maia School on São Miguel Island. He also added that the works in Capelas School will start soon, followed by interventions in the schools of Arrifes, Rabo de Peixe and Lagoa.
"One of the main ideas that I would like to reinforce at the beginning of the school year is the need for Education and School Success to be regarded as a regional goal by the entire community, our Region, and each and every Azorean," stressed Vasco Cordeiro.
In this context, the President of the Government urged "each Azorean family, each parent, to regard the school success of their child as one of the main achievements and as one of most valuable pieces they can pass on."
"If so, I believe we have all the conditions to defend that Education and the success of each student should solely regarded from a perspective within school walls or from a perspective of a student who can read and write. Above all, we should regard school success from the perspective of having, today and in the future, more qualified Azoreans who aware of themselves and what surrounds them. We need enlightened and demanding citizens at the service of the community," concluded Vasco Cordeiro.