The Regional Secretary for Education, Science and Culture denied in Praia da Vitória that the Regional Government intends to close schools in the archipelago.

Luiz Fagundes Duarte visited on Wednesday the Vitorino Nemésio Secondary School and Francisco Ornelas da Câmara Basic Education School. The government official assured that no basic education school will be closed, either in rural areas or in city areas, namely the Alto das Covas School in Angra do Heroísmo.
"The Government does not intend to make any change to these infrastructures," assured the government official.

The Regional Secretary for Education, Science and Culture conveyed his satisfaction with the organisational and educational operation of the schools he visited and considered that "the promotion of educational success is the main Government's priority for this area."

In this regard, Luiz Fagundes Duarte added that "the Government will soon implement initiatives in order to increase and diversify the training offer provided by schools, thus turning schools more attractive to students and inclusive for everyone."

"It is necessary that public schools reach a consensus to extend the range of their training offer with the aim of attracting the highest number possible of students to the public schools," said the Regional Secretary.

Taking into consideration the relevance of vocational training, Luiz Fagundes Duarte defended an increased coordination between public schools and vocational training schools for the benefit of students and the promotion of educational success.

When dialoguing with the different parties involved in the education sector - school boards in the first phase -, the Regional Secretary for Education admitted that the possibility of Vitorino Nemésio and Jerónimo Emiliano de Andrade Secondary Schools accommodating students enrolled at basic education schools on Terceira is under consideration. Similar initiatives have been implemented in other places in the archipelago where both types of school co-exist.

This measure, which is intended to place Terceira's Secondary Schools on equal terms with the remaining schools throughout the archipelago, will not result in any redundancy," assured Luiz Fagundes Duarte.