The President of the Government highlighted today the importance of school in the training and development of children and youngsters, stressing also the effort that has been done in the Region to improve the conditions of the student population.

Speaking at the ceremony of laying the first stone of the renewal works of Rabo de Peixe Basic Education School - an investment over two million Euros - Carlos César mentioned various completed and ongoing works in order to stress the recovery of the regional school network from the "deplorable conditions" which he found when he took office as President of the Government.

More specifically, the President of the Government recalled the construction of the new Água de Pau Basic Education School, the expansion works of Angra do Heroísmo Basic Education and Kindergarten and the renewal works of the south building of Domingos Rebelo Secondary School to start soon.

Furthermore, the Government is also preparing the procedures for the construction of the new facilities where the Gaspar Frutuoso School will be installed and the construction of the new Velas de S. Jorge and Lajes do Pico Schools, which will be followed by Calheta de S. Jorge.

As he noted, "this is, after all, almost a full reform undertaken in all basic education and secondary schools under our administration" apart from the subsidies and other government to support municipalities in the renewal works of elementary schools.

"Hence, we wish to provide better learning conditions in the archipelago and turn schools into educational and affective spaces where students may have the same opportunities and the possibility of offsetting the disadvantages of certain social environments," stated Carlos César.

For the President of the Government, "school should be for both children and youngsters a true second family where they have the opportunity to offset inequalities and fulfil themselves throughout the development and training path.

Nevertheless, the quality of the school network is not enough by itself. In fact, "family stability and encouragement, the economic situation of the household, emotional balance, cultural environmental, the access to new technologies and housing conditions" are also important and decisive aspects.

In addition, there are other aspects in which the measures implemented by the Government may contribute, such as the adoption of the regional curriculum to reinforce some key subjects like Portuguese Language and Math, and the Teacher Application Rules, which demonstrate "the Region's innovation in the matters," stressed Carlos César.

 The President of the Government also mentioned the implementation of free education and the concept of single preschool network as well as several measures designed to combat school failure and drop-out, including Alternative Offers, School Recovery Programmes, Citizenship Programme, Opportunity/Integration Programme and the Youth Integration Training Programme (PROFIJ).

Whereas vocational training schools created in recent years "have greatly contributed to the multifunctionality and results of our educational system," the President of the Government said that these measures "brought improvements in some indicators, namely the schooling rates in the age group 3-19 years and the higher education enrolment rates which have grown 31.2% over the last decade.”
 
Carlos César also ensured that the Regional Government wants to "work towards the stability and safety of the jobs in the area of education with special emphasis on teachers and the non-teaching staff."