Brava: ME and local entities envisage interventions in some educational buildings on the island

The Minister of Education met with the Education Delegate and the City Council of Brava, in a dialogue on the system and teaching functioning on the island and future interventions in some educational buildings.

Speaking to the press, the Minister of Education, Amadeu Cruz, who has been in Brava since Friday, the 24th, stressed that this is a routine visit to learn about the functioning of the educational sector in Brava, where he met with the city council municipal council and the outgoing delegate, to deal with issues related to the maintenance of infrastructures, rehabilitation of schools, but also issues of social action and school transport.

According to this official, some future interventions were in perspective, namely the continuity of the works at the Basic School of Nossa Senhora do Monte, but also interventions at the Senna Barcelos School, in Nova Sintra.

He also reported that they had discussed the appointment of a new delegate to take over the reins of education on Brava, with the retirement of the outgoing delegate.

Questioned about the situation of some cases of violence that have been taking place in some schools, the minister stressed that it is one or another situation, in one or another school, but that they are phenomena that occur in any part of the world.

However, he argues that “these situations cannot be naturalized and parents or teachers cannot be blamed”, reinforcing that these cases depend on the dynamics.

"We value the participation of parents in the management of schools, in the monitoring of students and I think that parents should continue to follow up", said the official, reinforcing that the system also values and defends that teachers have sufficient authority in matters of assessment, application, correction of tests and assignment of grades.

In this regard, it showed that the leaders of the Ministry of Education (ME) cannot interfere in what is the maximum autonomy and authority of the teacher in the classroom and preserve this authority.

Amadeu Cruz also stated that the ME always works in dialogue in seeking an understanding with the students, indicating the need to create conditions for the student to have a quality education, but also always maintain a dialogue with the parents and authorities, in order to create an increasingly healthy environment around schools.

In this context, referring to what happened recently at Escola Secundária Pedro Gomes, in the city of Praia, between a teacher and a guardian, the minister emphasized that the ME “does not ignore” what happened, although, he pointed out, the ministry has not received a direct communication or a complaint made by the teacher.

But, having become aware of the case through the media and social networks, Amadeu Oliveira clarified that the ME did what it should do, that is, it opened a process to better understand the facts and, accordingly, determine the measures that should be determined, then waiting for the results.

On the other hand, he stressed that if there is an attempt at aggression by a mother, both are adults and if it happened outside the school premises, the teacher has legitimacy as a citizen to file complaints with the authorities, and the guardian has the legitimacy to defend herself .

Continuing, he reinforced that “the ME respects the authority of the teacher who is the highest authority in evaluation processes”, praising that neither ME leaders nor parents can interfere in these processes.

However, he also says that the ME values the commitment of parents in trying to accompany their children's development and in this context they must act with the greater objective of protecting children, adolescents and young people who attend schools.

Finally, he stressed that it is necessary to convey a clear message that “schools are safe, are safe and will continue to be safe, and maybe in the national context they are the safest places for children and adolescents”.