The Regional Secretary for Education, Science and Culture (SRECC) announced today in Lagoa a "profound" change in the ordinance establishing the principles and procedures to be adopted in assessing the learning and skills of elementary school students.

Luiz Fagundes Duarte spoke at the beginning of a working visit to several schools on the island of S. Miguel, revealing that a total of twenty amendments will be made, ranging from the reduction "of the bureaucratic burden on teachers" to the implementation of a specific school recovery programme.

Among other aspects, these amendments, notably the introduction of the final Portuguese and Math exams for the 4th form, are intended to standardise procedures in the Region and the remaining national territory with the purpose of "improving the quality of teaching" in the Azores.
 
Luiz Fagundes Duarte stressed that with these amendments, teachers will be "relieved from the bureaucratic burden" and, therefore, they will have more time to plan lessons and teach classes as well as to assess their students properly.

The Regional Secretary reminded that the amendments announced for elementary education will soon be extended to other teaching levels, thus "complying with the Government's Programme and the electoral commitments" made by the Socialist Party.