In recent days, the pages of this newspaper have become the stage for a lively debate about the state of education in the Region, with the Domingos Rebelo Secondary School at its epicenter.

In a lengthy text—unfortunately anonymous and somewhat chaotic in its argument—a group of parents nevertheless raised relevant questions about how the school functions and the effects this has on assessment and, above all, on student motivation. This was followed by what may have been an overly emotional reaction from the Parents’ Association—understandable when parents and children are at the heart of the matter—culminating in its resignation. More recently, a particularly interesting response from a former student focused on what seems to me to be the true core of the issue: the permanent dilemma between “spreading one’s wings” and leaving the Region, or staying on the island, often perceived as a form of stagnation.

I do not personally know any of the protagonists in this debate. I write simply as an observer of public life and as the father of two teenage daughters who attend this same school (in the 9th and 11th grades). That dual position, I believe, gives me the legitimacy to highlight some issues I find especially relevant in this exchange of arguments.

Rather than dwelling on the more domestic dimensions of the controversy—schedules, breaks, curricula, assessment models, or even individual responsibility and teacher motivation—it seems to me that what truly matters lies in a broader reflection on the state of education and schooling in the Region.

In a structurally poor society with low social indicators and a significant portion of the population that does not go beyond the sixth grade, education should be seen as the primary engine of development and social mobility. Yet we persist in an obsession with exams, assessments, rankings, and statistics that say little about each student’s individual journey and almost nothing about their formation as conscious, participatory citizens.

The family plays a fundamental role in transmitting values, a sense of responsibility, and respect for the rigor of the academic path—not as a race toward excellence measured by averages, honor rolls, or accumulated diplomas, but as a life journey. The beginning of a path where, often, more important than grades or certificates are the relationships built with classmates, teachers, and the wider community.

The school—and teachers in particular—must equip students with intellectual tools that allow them to understand and question the world. At a time when ChatGPT is used more frequently than a Bic pen, it may be more important to teach how to formulate good questions than to memorize answers or solve equations. School should not be a competition driven by rankings and metrics, but a space for shaping autonomous, creative, critical, and enterprising individuals.

But perhaps the greatest responsibility lies with successive governments, which, over five decades of political autonomy, have failed to build a genuine educational ecosystem—one capable of meaningfully linking schools to territory and of generating wealth and sustained development for the Region.

Giving young people “wings” matters. But perhaps even more important is teaching them the delicate art of landing. Success is not measured solely in euros, positions, promotions, or diplomas, but also in the ability to stop, to observe, to appreciate the subtlety of what surrounds us, and to value the memories we build with those we meet along the way—so that “spreading one’s wings” is not only about leaving, but also about returning.

Perhaps the greatest lesson of all is to understand that, instead of chasing life, we must learn to pause it to truly live it. And perhaps the greatest luxury the island offers us is precisely this: the gift of time to do so.

Pedro Arruda is a regular contributor to Azorean newspapers. We are thankful that he agreed to have his op-ed translated and available to our readers.

NOVIDADES will feature occasional opinion pieces from leading thinkers and writers in the Azores, providing the diaspora and those interested in the current state of the Azores with a sense of the significant perspectives on some of the archipelago’s issues.

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).

You can follow his writings in Portuguese online on: https://azoreansplendor.blogspot.com/