“After an analysis of the procedures adopted by the DGAE regarding the process of recognizing professional qualifications obtained abroad, two service directors have resigned, having already ceased their duties,” stated the ministry in a note sent to Lusa news agency.
The Ministry of Education, Science, and Innovation (MECI) requested a review of the procedures followed by the general directorate in the qualification recognition process following the case, reported on November 21, of a Brazilian teacher who, despite being qualified, was prevented from teaching.
The educator in question, Alana Costa, was trained in Brazil and was teaching in Portugal when, in 2023, she was dismissed and prevented from teaching in the country due to the non-recognition of her professional qualification.
According to the DGAE, a document that should have been issued by the Brazilian Ministry of Education was missing, even though the Brazilian government grants federal higher education institutions the autonomy to issue this diploma.
The document issued by the University of Brasília (UnB), where Alana Costa graduated, was rejected, prompting her to seek help from the Brazilian Embassy in Portugal, which was also not accepted by the DGAE. Even after a decision by the Lisbon Administrative Court, the professional qualification remained unrecognized.
At that time, the MECI clarified, “upon becoming aware of the situation, the DGAE was immediately questioned about the procedures,” and the court’s decision was followed.
The two officials who resigned following the review of the procedures in this case are the director of Human Resources and Training Management Services, responsible for handling processes of recognition of professional qualifications obtained abroad, and the director of Legal and Litigation Services, responsible for overseeing the legal proceedings associated with the identified situation.
According to the MECI, the coordination of teams is now being managed by department directors of the new Agency for the Management of the Educational System (AGSE), who will assume the respective competences.
In this way, the ministry adds, the “correct processing of these processes is ensured while the process of abolishing the DGAE and its integration into the AGSE is concluded.”
