The Government of the Azores announced on Monday the hiring of another fifty doctors in addition to 620 teachers hired in the 1st phase of the teacher admission application for the regional education system.

The announcement was made by the Regional Secretary for Education, Science and Culture, Luiz Fagundes Duarte, at the opening ceremony of Ribeirinha Elementary School and Kindergarten, which was presided over by the President of the Government of the Azores. This new school represented an investment of 4.2 million Euros, supported by the Azorean Government and the Angra do Heroísmo City Hall.

In addition to the hiring of teachers full-time, which result from the refusal of positions, retirement, mobility, transfers and the replacement of teacher exercising union duties, Luiz Fagundes Duarte stated that another 40 part-time positions will be filled in coming days, which corresponds to a total over 700 teaching positions.

The Regional Secretary recalled that there has been "an increase of six percent in the regional teaching staff, particularly in the areas of artistic education (over 14 percent) and special education, with an increase of 43.5 percent."

"Given the figures already known, one can note that the Government of the Azores was concerned to ensure the placement of all teachers deemed necessary for the normal operation of schools as well as to provide the necessary human resources for the implementation of the new educational projects to combat school failure," stressed the government official.

According to Luiz Fagundes Duarte, these efforts "are a source of great pride" for the Regional Government, particularly at a time "when the national trend is in the opposite direction, with cuts in the number of hired teachers that jeopardise the public education system."

The Azores currently have a ratio of nine students per teacher, "a figure of which we are proud, because only a continuous, persevering and demanding monitoring will lead to the improvement of learning and school results," stated the Regional Secretary.

Furthermore, the Regional Secretary for Education, Science and Culture also acknowledged the role of the non-teaching staff "in the organisation and normal operation of schools." In this context, the government official mentioned that several positions for higher technicians have been filled by school psychologists to assure "provision of psychological, educational and vocational support that is crucial to the educational success of students in all schools."

According to Luiz Fagundes Duarte, "this effort was developed, bearing in mind the principle of inclusive education, equality of opportunities and the promotion of access to education for people with special needs."

"The Region's major goal for this area is the consolidation of educational success, through the definition of more ambitious targets to be achieved by all parties in the education system," concluded the Regional Secretary.