Avelino Meneses believes ProSucesso will be able to convince families that education "is a clear priority"
The Regional Secretary for Education and Culture stated "the major success" of ProSucesso will be achieved when "it will be able to convince every family that education is a clear priority," stressing that " Knowledge is the basis of everything: development and freedom itself.
Avelino Meneses spoke to journalists on the Day ProSucesso, which will be marked for the first time in the Region next Monday, September 14.
For Avelino Meneses, the "success" of ProSucesso - Azores for Education, Integrated Plan for the Promotion of School Success, whose assessment will be carried out by a commission, will be measured in the "long-term." The government official added that "one can only measure effectively its usefulness on the very day that those who enter the education system will benefit from it throughout their entire educational path."
In this context, the government official stressed that the "immediate" priority concerns "the creation of conditions so that ProSucesso may be successful as we want it to be," pointing out the increase of teachers in the regional education system, despite the decreasing number of students. This "means that students will be followed up on a regular basis."
"We have smaller classes in the basic education level, which is below the size defined nationwide. We will increase our offer in the area of vocational education not only in the secondary level, but also in the middle school and junior high school levels, namely vocational training courses and Profij courses; the number of courses will increase to hundred and fifty," added the Regional Secretary.
On the other hand, Avelino Meneses stressed that teachers will be provided a "useful training" because it is "suited to the proposed goals" and, among other things, will allow "the creation of support programmes" that into consideration the differences of students.
Recalling his words on the day he took office, the Regional Secretary for Education and Culture restated the fact that will not give up on "the construction of a complex but necessary school," that is, "an inclusive school, because this is a democratic obligation, a competitive school and a assurance of development."
"We must instil the belief that all children and all young people can learn together, despite based on differentiated paces and processes of learning, which will be implemented depending on the identification of temporary or permanent educational needs," said the government official.
On the first day of classes in the Azores - the Day of ProSucesso - all those involved in the learning process will share ideas and "reflect on the most appropriate solutions to carry out their mission."
The 40 school establishments that make up the Regional Education System will organise several activities involving students, teachers, parents and the remaining educational community in order to disseminate ProSucesso. According to the Regional Directorate for Education, this programme has already promoted the organisation of nearly ten training courses that were attended by a total of 660 participants.
Fabíola Cardoso, who also attended the meeting with journalists, said that a media campaign will start next week in institutional media and social networks. This initiative falls within the community mobilisation strategy for the implementation of ProSucesso and is mainly intended to raise the awareness of youth and families for the importance of school in the construction of life projects.
In addition to website of ProSucesso and the pages on Facebook and Instagram, the campaign will be based on the testimonies of several people from different islands that have followed different professional and academic paths, specified the Regional Director.