Members of the PS political party from Flores Island in the Azorean Parliament express concern about the lack of teachers at the start of the school year and accuse the regional government of inertia and a lack of planning.
A note sent to the DI newspaper in Angra do Heroísmo expresses “deep concern.” The parliamentarians fear a shortage of teachers on the island at the start of the school year.
“This situation, which is worsening compared to the previous year, reflects the inaction and lack of planning of the Regional Government, which has not taken the necessary measures to solve a problem that directly affects the quality of teaching in our schools,” reads the note.
According to José Gabriel Eduardo and Dora Valadão, “this year, many students in Flores could start the school year with significant gaps in their timetables due to the lack of teachers, since the Flores Primary and Secondary School is missing around 1/4 of the necessary teachers”.
“This scenario is alarming and puts these young people’s right to a quality education at risk, further exacerbating the inequalities between the different islands of the archipelago,” said the members of the Azorean Parliament.

They say this reality is not new, and “year after year,” the Regional Government has been alerted to this problem. But they accuse “without any effective response.”
“The government has failed to take the necessary measures, remaining inert in the face of the evidence and aggravating a situation that was already worrying,” they accuse.
“The more peripheral islands, such as Flores, always face greater challenges in attracting and retaining qualified teachers,” said the Regional Assembly Members.

in Diário Insular, José Lourenço-director

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.