Parents from localities in the Parish of Nossa Senhora do Monte take responsibility for transporting their children who attend kindergarten at the local Mother School

In a previous scenario, the local City Council had been responsible for transporting children to school. Subsequently, the task was transferred to the community of Brava emigrants living in the United States of America, who made an effort to guarantee the children's mobility. However, now, faced with increasing financial challenges and other priorities, parents themselves have decided to take on this important responsibility.

The decision of the parents of these villages, however, did not come without sacrifices. The scarcity of resources, including adequate vehicles and transport infrastructure, made the task even more challenging. Many parents are organizing themselves into groups to share vehicles or are resorting to carpooling to ensure their children have access to education.

On the other hand, in other locations in the parish of São João Baptista, the City Council continues to assume responsibility for school transport, relieving parents of this burden. “This highlights regional disparities in financing and access to essential services, such as educational transport”, said Maria Silva, resident in Campo Baixo.

The local community has demonstrated a remarkable spirit of unity and determination, seeking creative solutions to ensure that their children continue to have access to education. The situation highlights the importance of collaboration between local authorities, the community and parents, in order to ensure that all students have the opportunity to receive a quality education, regardless of where they live, but it remains bitter about fact of feeling discriminated against, as students from another parish have guaranteed transport, including students from within the City of Nova Sintra.