The Government of the Azores has adopted a series of structuring legislative measures on the field of Education so that they can enter into effect in the beginning of the school year and remain in force for a four-year period, thus ensuring the necessary stability for school success.
These legislative measures were approved by the Council of Government that met on Corvo under the Government's statutory visit to that island. Their adoption complies with the provision of the Programme defined by the XI Regional Government and the electoral commitments made for this sector.
Hence, the Council has approved a proposal for Regional Legislative Decree establishing the legal scheme on the autonomy and management of the schools belonging to the Regional Education System, the rules on the implementation, type and designation of school establishments and the legal scheme on school sport.
These amendments are the result of the goals set by the Programme of the Government regarding the need to implement strategies so that the Boards of the schools belonging to the Regional Education System be strong, accountable for their performance and determined to enhance the school success of students.
The Government intends that the terms of the School Board and the Pedagogical Council have the same duration - three years - and be coincident in order to improve the operation and coordination between these bodies.
It also recommends the reinforcement of the powers of the Pedagogical Council, hence creating the conditions to promote an active role of parents and tutors. Furthermore, the new legislation also reduces the number of terms the members of the School Board may serve in order to create new alternatives.
In the context of teacher training, it is intended that Azorean schools become training entities of excellence based on the sharing of good practices.
The Government led by Vasco Cordeiro approved another proposal for Regional Legislative Decree defining the new Student Statute for Basic Education and Secondary School students, following the experience gained with the current Statute. It is intended to create a school environment conducive to new learning experiences and the educational success of students.
The new Student Statute clarifies the procedures and time limits to be observed in disciplinary procedures and excludes fines and offences provided in the current Statute, which proved difficult to implement and failed to reach the desired goals.
This legislative measure reinforces the authority of teachers and reduces to the period of absences justified by parents or tutors to three days. It also determines, among other aspects, that a teacher or a student who was a victim of aggression by a student that was suspended for this offence for a period over five days may request the transfer to another class; therefore, the victim will have the possibility of avoiding contact with its aggressor.
During the meeting, the Council of the Government also approved a proposal for Regional Legislative Decree amending the Statute of Private and Cooperative Education, which provides students with the possibility of being home-schooled in the teaching levels of compulsory education.
This amendment safeguards parents' rights of providing their children with an education that is in accordance with their beliefs, without detriment to the quality of learning provided to children and youngsters.
The legislation also promotes the standardisation of criteria concerning the allocation of financial support to private and cooperative school establishments with the adoption of the rules for determining the amount of support awarded to the School Welfare levels in force for public schools, thus ensuring equal treatment among all students in the archipelago.