The Regional Secretary for Education and Training considers the proposal for a decree-law regulating teacher application for preschool, basic and secondary education promotes "unacceptable discrimination" among the teachers who work at schools from the school network of the Ministry of Education, those who work at private schools and even the teachers working in the Azores.

Speaking to journalists on the legislative proposal, Cláudia Cardoso said that "one does not understand the scope of a decree that determines its application not only "in Mainland Portugal and Portuguese schools abroad," but also "in the Autonomous Regions for internal application purposes." In the case of the Azores, the power to legislate this matter is exercised by the Legislative Assembly of the Azores as provided in the Constitution and the Political and Administrative Statute of the Autonomous Region of Azores.

The government official recalled that the National Government's proposal "ranks teachers who have worked, or currently work, in the Autonomous Regions at 2nd priority while teachers who have work at schools from the school network of the Ministry of Education are ranked at 1st priority.

This proposal "represents, from the Government's point of view, an unacceptable discrimination regarding the teachers who have worked in the Region; they are ranked at 2nd priority, which makes their mobility more difficult as well as their access to national schools," said the Secretary.

Cláudia Cardoso says it does not make sense that a "teacher working in the Region may not have the same opportunities to work in Mainland Portugal, contrary to what happens here; in the regional teacher application we grant all teachers equal opportunities for applying regardless where they are working. With this proposal under discussion, the Ministry of Education appears to hinder this possibility in the national teacher application."

The Regional Secretary for Education and Training revealed that a meeting has been requested to the Secretary of State for Education and Educational Administration in order to solve and overcome this situation.

Recalling that the proposal presented by the Minister of Education is not the final version, Cláudia Cardoso said that "the Government of the Azores will seek to raise the Minister's awareness for the injustice of an issue that must be overcome."