The Regional Secretary for Education and Training signed this morning the contract for the 1st phase of the construction project of Rui Galvão de Carvalho Basic Education School in Rabo de Peixe.
This work that has a completion period of 12 months and represents an investment of 1 million and 840 thousand Euros, plus VAT at the legal rate in force.

The first phase comprises the construction of a two floor building; the ground floor will house the Special Education Centre with the respective classrooms, artistic expression classrooms, support office for teachers, lavatories and a storage area.

The first floor contains the remaining classrooms, artistic expression classrooms, storage area and lavatories.

This new building will have 18 classrooms: 6 special education classrooms, 10 artistic expression classrooms, 12 storerooms for teaching materials, 3 workrooms, an office to receive parents, a technical space, a storage room and 14 lavatories adapted to the various age groups that make up the school community.
 
During the contract signing ceremony, Cláudia Cardoso stressed that "when we are improving and expanding physical resources and the infrastructures of Rui Galvão de Carvalho Basic Education School, we are extending its infrastructural capacity.  In the current school year, there are 1105 student attending this school at various teaching levels: middle school, junior high school, Oportunidade programme, Reativar courses and PROFIJ (youth integration training programme)."

After completing the construction works, whose contract was signed today, students will "have better learning conditions since it will no longer be necessary to slip classes and it will be also possible teaching middle school and junior high school curricula without the constraints caused by the lack of classrooms, stated the government official.

Thus, Rui Galvão de Carvalho Basic Education School will be provided with the necessary conditions to teach the basic education curriculum in force in the Azores within the appropriate time load.
 
The government official also recalled that the 1st phase of the project to renew the Rui Galvão de Carvalho Basic Education School is part of an "extended operation to restructure the school network of the education system which the Regional Government, through the Regional Secretariat for Education, has been promoting in small but determined steps."

The investment in the Regional School Network comprises the new Água de Pau School and the renewal of the south building of Domingos Rebelo Secondary School or even the Ponta Garça Basic Education School, not to mention the facilities of the Gaspar Frutuoso School.

The contract signed today evidences a governmental concern in "signing contracts with regional companies and giving them a special place here, not only today but in future contracts. That is what happened today; this is what we should do to promote cohesion in our economy and its sustainability," said the government official.

The Regional Secretary stressed that the "the scheduled investments at a regional level include, in addition to the schools opened last year, the opening of the new Água de Pau school before the beginning of the new school year, the expansion works of Domingos Rebelo school and Gaspar Frutuoso school in the municipality of Ribeira Grande, whose consignment agreement will be signed soon. All these schools correspond to a global investment over 43 million Euros, being a considerable investment."

These investments evidence the Regional Government's intention "to renew and modernise regional school buildings by restoring their dignity, improving their effectiveness and functionality and creating the necessary conditions for a modern teaching that is aware of the specific problems of students with special educational needs," stressed the Secretary for Education.

Claudia Cardoso also reminded that "this investment effort in infrastructures that are suitable to an inclusive, demanding and quality education that also brings added responsibilities for each actor in the educational process. Doing more and better should be the goal of each one of you, teachers, parents, students and remaining members of this community, because educational success opens doors to the good qualification of our school population. We believe in quality infrastructures and, above all, we believe in the work of every member of the school community."