The Regional Secretary for Education, Science and Culture, Luiz Fagundes Duarte, admitted today that the results of the Portuguese and Mathematics exams in the 6th and 9th forms are "still far from the desired results."

"The majority of our schools have good conditions and our students have more time for the learning of Portuguese and Mathematics than their counterparts across the country." For that reason, "we cannot have the bad results we are having," said the government official.

Speaking in Angra do Heroísmo after an audience granted to the Teachers' Democratic Union, Luiz Fagundes Duarte added that "these results force us to rethink about many aspects. The Government is implementing the necessary legislative measures and providing schools with the conditions for the operation of the system, particularly in terms of educational and teaching practices."

"Schools will have to rethink their organisational aspects as they have the powers to do so and teachers will likewise rethink their teaching methods," the government official stated, adding that "schools have the necessary human and material resources for achieving better results."

The Regional Secretary for Education, Science and Culture (SRECC) specified that teams made up of teachers with teaching experience and expertise on the first years of school are already on the ground to support teachers to create an inclusive environment.

The government official also stressed the importance of extending the Fenix Project, an experimental initiative targeted at students with learning difficulties that is being implemented at some regional schools.

Luiz Fagundes Duarte also added that school results made public recently will be further analysed in the next meeting Coordinating Council of the Educational System. Given "the results achieved and the conditions we have, we must go through a self-evaluation process."

"From the assessment we have carried out so far, we believe that we can improve," concluded the Regional Secretary.