The Regional Secretary for Education and Training announced this morning the opening of the internal/external and "afetação" (temporary relocation) applications for the school year 2012/2013.

During a meeting with media representatives, Cláudia Cardoso revealed that 30 vacancies are available, similarly to what happened in the previous year.

These 30 vacancies "will be partly distributed between the two new schools of the regional educational system” (Ferreira Drummond Basic Education School, Terceira, and Ponta Garça Basic Education School, São Miguel). There are still "other vacancies in some groups, mainly in the area of special education." In the past year, several vacancies were opened in this "specific area, where the Government has made important investments," stated the government official.

The Regional Secretary also recalled that the opening of 30 vacancies is justified for the reason that "we now have a stable teaching staff in our regional education system as result of the measures taken over the years to encourage its stabilisation."

Cláudia Cardoso stressed that "at a time when national teacher applications are closed, there is an adverse situation. In this context, the Government of the Azores is undertaking this effort to open these 30 vacancies, ensuring, on the one hand, the stability of the teachers joining the school staff and, on the other hand, the possibility of providing these new schools with their own teaching staff, which is currently non-existent as, from the moment these schools were opened, teachers were working under contract."

The government official also said that "the national application has not been opened since the school year 2009/2010: it is expected to be open next year, but it has not been decided yet. This situation demonstrates that the Regional Government has taken a different attitude towards this matter: an open attitude that promotes the stability of our teaching staff," which "has advantages over the national teaching staff in terms of stability.”

In the case of internal and external admissions, applications may be submitted from January 30, while the applications for the "afetação" (temporary relocation) category may be submitted from June 1.
 
Further information on the internal/external and "afetação" (temporary relocation) applications is already available on the Education Portal (www.edu.azores.gov.pt).