The Regional Secretary for Education and Culture stated in Horta that education is a "major investment" in the promotion of development, adding that, the Government of the Azores promote learning throughout life and reconsider the Basic Education curriculum, among other projects, during the current legislative period.
 
Avelino Meneses spoke during the debate on the Programme for the Government. He pointed out that the promotion of learning throughout life, through adult education, allows, on the one hand, the completion of studies and, on the other hand, the updating of knowledge "due to a change in activity or procedures in contemporary society."
 
As for the "reconsideration" of the Basic Education curriculum, the Regional Secretary said this measure should be based on the establishment of "parity" between the minimum school hours set at regional and national level in order to "safeguard the students who will take national exams. Nevertheless, this will jeopardise our own projects, such as a foreign language class for the elementary education level, the inclusion of Citizenship education in the curriculum and the focus on the information and communication technology component."
 
With regard to important "priorities" for this term, Avelino Meneses pointed out the frequency of teaching applications, which will be held on an annual basis, and the revision of the requirement to teach at the same school for three years, taking into consideration "the stability of the teaching staff at most regional schools" and "the possibility of reuniting teachers with their families."
 
Moreover, the government official mentioned other goals for this area, including the "revision" and "improvement" of School Welfare according with appropriate "principles of justice" to various levels of education and "different needs" of students, the focus on "academic and civic merit" towards the promotion of "quality education" and the ongoing redevelopment of the school network; the latter should be complemented by an "active maintenance policy."
 
In his speech, he recalled the need to establish "a pact of education" as a "priority for all parties involved" in order to create a "school of development," bearing in mind that the history of education in the Azores over the past 40 years has been "a history of progress."
 
Otherwise, added Avelino Meneses, "we would not have one of the lowest illiteracy rates, being second only to the Lisbon metropolitan area."
 
"We want much more, because our long-term goal is to achieve a better performance by converging the academic and professional qualifications of Azorean citizen with those of national and European Union citizens," said the government official.
 
The Regional Secretary also mentioned the principles of the 2020 strategy, which "defend the reduction of early school dropout and the increase of school success." In this context, the Azores implemented ProSucesso - Azores for Education, programme for the promotion of school success, with special emphasis on elementary education. It already shows positive signs insofar as some of the targets set for 2020-21 were already achieved in 2015-16, the first year of its implementation.
 
With regard to culture, Avelino Meneses announced the creation of a cultural passport, which is aimed at "the transformation of citizens, preferably all, into active cultural agents or, at least, into critical consumers of culture.
 
Avelino Meneses also highlighted the that regional sports policy is on the right track, considering that the future "will certainly be auspicious," given the indicators on the number of athletes belonging to sports association in youth level, the participation of female athletes and the absolute participation rate. Moreover the government official also mentioned the number of sports facilities, which is "roughly twice than those existing at the beginning of the 21st century."