The Regional Secretary for Education and Culture revealed today that the Government is working on a legal document on School Welfare in the Azores, however he stressed that "a new document is not expected to come out in the next months."

"We're working on that document. We do not foresee the creation of a new document in the coming months. Now, we are working on it and we are already some ideas on the table," said Avelino Meneses.

The Regional Secretary spoke to journalists after a visit to the Angra do Heroísmo Basic Education School and Tomás de Borba Secondary School, where he became acquainted with some issues related to the start of the new school year, namely those regarding social support. The government official stressed that, "sooner or later," we will "make amendments to the document" regulating this area since "the legislation on School Welfare is relatively fragmented."

"The legislation on School Welfare in the Azores is partially based on the old Student Statute, dating back to 2007, and on a legal document about textbooks that was published in 2011. There is, indeed, some advantage in proceeding with standardisation" from a legal standpoint," stressed the government official.

Regarding the allocation of support, Avelino Meneses specified that one of the issues under consideration concerns the method of calculation, namely "whether to adopt, for example, the allocation of support based on child benefits or to continue with the methods currently in force."

"We will have no problem in introducing amendments to the document, if we reach the conclusion that it may bring more transparency and rigour to the system," said the government official.

The Secretary for Education also stressed that the School Welfare is intended "to support students with fewer opportunities and introduce promote equality among students attending schools of the Regional Education System," ensuring that "this will always be the foundation of any School Welfare system."

"We want to introduce another factor, the factor of merit," Avelino Meneses said, adding that "those who distinguish themselves have the right to be rewarded and are, thus, entitled to benefit from an increase in support."

However, the Regional Secretary reiterated that these "ideas are under consideration," pointing out that the document "is not ready" and, therefore, "will not be discussed at the Parliament in the coming months."

Avelino Meneses rejected that the situation of School Welfare this year will be different from previous year, as in accordance with the testimonies of the Boards of the schools he visited.

For Avelino Meneses, who stressed that he neither governs through the media nor rules for the media," if there is "a hundred complaints" in a universe of 26,000 beneficiaries in the beginning of the school year, this will be considered insignificant.

Nevertheless, eventual complaints will be assessed by schools, multidisciplinary teams and, ultimately, by the Regional Secretariat for Education. According to the government official, this ensures "the transparency and simplicity of our system."