The Regional Secretary for Education and Culture stated in Ponta Delgada that the "support provided" to Azorean students has been growing over the years in order to "encourage the improvement of school results."
 
Avelino Meneses spoke at the presentation session of the First Action Plan to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion 2018-2019, stressing that the improvement of school outcomes in the long run "will effectively improve society itself."
 
According to the Regional Secretary, the wealth of regions and countries depends on the access to knowledge. This means that qualifications are worth more than resources today and, therefore, education "is the best means of improving the face of the world."
 
In this context, he emphasised the need to pass on the message to younger generations that "it is worth studying."
 
For Avelino Meneses, it is necessary that Azorean students acquire the necessary learning "in due time and without delays" and, for this reason, the Region has been implementing a plan to promote school success, ProSucesso - Azores for Education.
 
According to the Regional Secretary, the investment in ProSucesso "is significant."
 
In the current school year, the Government "opted" to maintain the same number of teachers despite the reduction of about 1,500 students and the hiring of more than one hundred non-teaching staff members, stated Avelino Meneses.
 
In his speech, the government official also highlighted the strategies to combat poverty in the Azores, promote schooling in early childhood by expanding the daycare network, increase the enrolment of three and four-year old children in preschool, and focus on basic and secondary education by encouraging the completion of compulsory schooling.