The Regional Secretary for Education and Training announced in Horta today that the Regional Annual Plan will focus on investments in school buildings and s equipments in 2010.

With regard to these two programmes, the Government will invest nearly 41.8 million Euros next year, mentioned Lina Mendes at the end of an audience with the Commission for Social Affairs of the Legislative Assembly on the proposals for the Regional Annual Plan and Budget for 2010.

The Regional Secretary promised to start the construction of two new schools in the next year - Velas on S. Jorge and Água de Pau on S. Miguel – in addition the continuation of the major works that have been carried out in several schools from different islands.

Among these undertakings, Linda Mendes highlighted the works carried out in the Vila Franca do Campo School which will be completed in 2010 and in the Ponta Garça School on S. Miguel Island, and in the S. Sebastião School on Terceira Island.

Furthermore, there is another group of investments which despite being smaller than the previous investments are equally important for the renewal of the school network, mentioned the Regional Secretary.

Under the Secretariat for Education and Training, the plan for 2010 estimates a 11 Euro investment in the training of teaching staff and non-teaching staff and a 5 million investment in the development of vocational education and support to private school establishments.