The Regional Secretary for Education and Culture stated in Horta that the proposed revision of the Teaching Career Statute in the Azores is "a tool that values" teachers and a "means of encouraging learning" against school dropout and poor academic results.

Speaking at the Legislative Assembly in the beginning of the debate on the amendments to the Teaching Career Statute proposed by the Regional Government, Avelino Meneses mentioned the existence of "several reasons that justify this revision.

"Among these, it is important to mention a commitment recalled by teachers towards equality between the regional and the national teaching careers in order to foster the mobility of teachers," said the government official.

According to the Regional Secretary for Education and Culture, this strategy is also based on the fact that the Regional Government diversified its action regarding the investment in education and research. They "are the key pillars" of development in a country where this investment "is going backwards."

"In the Azores, our action was diversified. We have never mortgaged the future for the contingencies of the present time. More than that, we have now redoubled our investment, namely with the implementation of ProSucesso - Azores for Education, a programme for the promotion of school success," stressed Avelino Meneses.

The Government of the Azores did so because in "the face of school failure, there will no place to resignation." In this regard, Avelino Meneses considered that ProSucesso "is one of the most important challenges for the future of the Azores" insofar as "education and knowledge are the pillar of the development of democracy and of freedom itself."

"I am sure that with effort and ambition, we will achieve our purposes to turn education into a clear priority," said the government official.

However, the Regional Secretary stressed that "this is a colossal task that no one can do alone."

"In this task of continuity, the Government cannot do everything. Even though they are not the only ones, teachers are, at least, the best partners of the Government in this relentless fight against school failure," added the government official.
 
"Therefore, we will strive to provide more reliability and stability to the teaching career. Therefore, we will strive for the democratisation of education be synonymous with the recognition of teaching profession," said the Regional Secretary.

Avelino Meneses also considered that the new Statute ensures "the most valued teaching career in the country."
 
In addition to providing a payment scheme higher than the current index 340, the teaching career in the Azores, unlike in Mainland Portugal "does not have a stipulated quota for the promotion of teachers; it neither addresses the threat of professional requalification nor requires an admission exam for teachers."

With the implementation of the process towards the simplification of procedures in the previous year, the revision Statute "has led to the repeal of the class curricular project and the non-mandatory presence of teachers at school during non-teaching hours without students," added the government official.

Avelino Meneses also stressed that the revision of the Statute "introduced mechanisms to prevent support teachers, who are essential for the progression of pupils with special educational needs, from substituting teachers in classes; otherwise they would be unable to help the students who actually need them."

"In order to further benefit teaching activities and the improvement of learning opportunities, the new Statute will take into account for the calculation of staff vacancies a class of 20 students and not 25 students," said the government official.

Highlighting the way how the negotiations with the unions took place, the Regional Secretary for Culture pointed out the consensus on "the strengthening of collaboration, especially with the University of the Azores," the identification of needs, development of plans for the preparation of projects, and the evaluation of teacher training.

For Avelino Meneses, we "cannot" do the repositioning of teachers in the new career, as it is the desire of union structures, and "ensure that all teachers may reach the top of the career ladder after 34 years of service."

"We cannot do this, because our resources are limited," the Regional Secretary said, stressing that the current economic and social situation does justify "such a major effort to benefit a single profession, whatever it may be."