The Regional Secretary for Education, Science and Culture, Luiz Fagundes Duarte, expressed his "optimism" about the preliminary results of the measures launched by the Azorean Government to win the "battle of school success."

These measures are related to the extension of the Fénix Project, the increase of weekly credits for the subjects of Portuguese and Math and the implementation of multidisciplinary teams that monitors basic education school teachers across the archipelago. They will be complemented by the vocational training offer in the next school year."

Speaking to journalists in Ponta Delgada on the sidelines of the meeting of the Coordinating Council of the Education System and the Standing Commission of Regional Public Schools, Luiz Fagundes Duarte stressed that "vocational training at regular school cannot be confused with vocational training schools."

"The new training offer provided by schools suits the needs of students, particularly of those who failed to achieve school success throughout their school path. However, if these students benefit from an educational programme that is tailored to their needs, they will be able to overcome their difficulties and completed compulsory schooling," said the government official.

The Regional Secretary for Education rejected the idea that this measure will motivate an uncompromising attitude towards the educational system or encourage students to pass the year on an administrative basis.

According to Luiz Duarte, the aim "is to provide responses on the field in order to support students that have failed to achieve success in the traditional school system.
"The fight against school failure cannot be solved by decree. This problem can only be solved by working hard," defended the Regional Secretary.