A group of teachers from the New University of Lisbon will deliver on Friday at the Ministry of Education and Science (MEC), in Lisbon, an Open Letter in Defense of the School and a petition, already signed by some 1,500 people, in which require experts in the field to be heard and participate in the debate preceding the reforms advocated by the current Executive.
The group, which is concerned with measures such as the check-school or school funding, asked to be received this afternoon by someone from the ministerial team, but the answer I got informed that the usual procedure in these situations was handing the document to the Center for Information and Public Relations of the MEC.
“Hopefully the Minister read the letter and think of the impact of these measures,” says the researcher from the Faculty of Science and Technology, New University of Lisbon, stressing the major objective of the initiative is not only to take a public position, but also contribute to “public debate” on issues related to teaching.
The petition has been signed by about 1500 people, among whom are parents, teachers and researchers in the area of ??Teaching and Education. Among them are names like Ana Benavente, former Secretary of State for Education Marcal Grilo, António Nóvoa, former dean of the University of Lisbon António Teodoro, former secretary-general of Fenprof; Licinio Lima, University of Minho; Joan Brocardo, the College of Education of Setúbal, John Teixeira Lopes, University of Porto, Maria do Céu Roland, the Catholic University; Pedro Abrantes, the Open University;. Sérgio Nice, the Modern School Movement and other
In the letter, among other criticisms, the authors lament that has called into question the “education for all”, which has been “the subject of vigorous and dramatic redefinition.” Among other criticisms, questioning “the advent of the check-education, the transfer of public funding of education to the private sector, the increasing pattern of selectivity and segregation” and “increasing standardization of schools.”
The authors consider that there is a “trend of disengagement of the State by the quality of the operation of public schools alongside support for privatization of educational service provision.”
The petition accuses the ministry of being the “assistant to meet” priority problems such as school failure and dropout, or the autonomy of schools and teachers. The text also deplores the “devaluation” that is being given to the work done in these areas in recent decades, “ignoring the achievements or the knowledge produced by research.”
For subscribers to petition the changes that are being carried out “are not mere reforms, once that challenge the very founding principles of the school for all while ensuring equity and social justice.” Therefore, “the whole society should be called to participate in this debate, which has been hindered by the way in which these measures have been announced and implemented without respect for democratic governance.”
GOVERNMENT has asked for a reaction to the Ministry of Education and Science.
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