The Regional Secretary for Education and Culture stated that only a "consortium" made up of school leaders, teachers, students and families "is able to create" strategies and build solutions that lead to the promotion of school success.
 
Avelino Meneses spoke at Rabo de Peixe Basic Education School at delivery ceremony of the "Dare, Intervene, Improve" prize to this educational establishment. On the occasion, he highlighted the "good indicators" registered in recent years in the municipality of Lagoa, with the implementation of the "School, Family, Community" project.
 
This project, now extended to the municipality of Vila Franca do Campo, will be extended to other schools and municipalities, assured the Secretary for Education.
 
For the Regional Secretary, the success of this and other projects "shows positive indicators that need to be further studied," as evidenced by the external and internal evaluations already carried out.
 
In his speech, Avelino Meneses pointed out Rabo de Peixe Basic Education School as the only school in the autonomous regions to be distinguished by a worldwide network as a "changemaker school." The government official also highlighted this school for being another "good example" in terms of educational innovation, since it has won the "Dare, Intervene and Improve" prize in previous editions.
 
This annual award was established with the aim of recognising and promoting the educational establishments developing their own projects, created or adapted by them, that respond to the educational problems they face.
 
The creation of this award also intends to acknowledge the work carried out by schools in combating failure and early dropout, improve teaching and learning conditions of students, disseminate the results of the work carried out at schools towards educational success and promote educational success.
 
The first place of the "Dare, Intervene and Improve" prize was awarded to the project presented by Rabo de Peixe School, "Safe Path." This comprehensive project involves a number of community members, with a positive impact on students' evaluations, and has the potential to be replicated in other school establishments.
 
The winning project is directed to students enrolled in 1st and 2nd forms, involving 10 classes and about two hundred students. It aims to develop, consolidate and disseminate strategies, models and methodologies in the areas of health, school education, and global participation in social-oriented activities and family interaction, which will allow a higher level of educational success among the target group.
 
The 2018 Prize distinguished projects developed in the school year 2016/2017. Four school establishments submitted their projects that covered a total 21 classes and 368 students.