“We have heard from the parties, and we will again hear from universities, polytechnics, and student associations. Based on this consultation, we will make changes that obviously cannot be very significant,” Fernando Alexandre told journalists at the Assembly of the Republic, where he met today with parliamentary parties to discuss the Government’s proposed law regarding RJIES.
In February, the previous executive approved a proposal to bring before the Assembly of the Republic for the new Legal Regime for Higher Education Institutions (RJIES), a new designation for the current Higher Education Legal Regime, in force since 2007 and due for review in 2013.
The diploma, however, was never discussed in parliament due to the fall of the Government and is now being resurrected by Fernando Alexandre, who has been reappointed to lead the portfolio.
Despite being open to suggestions, the Minister of Education, Science, and Innovation (MECI) noted that the previous proposal “already represented a very clear vision” of what the government wants for higher education.
He highlighted the strengthening of institutional autonomy to define their strategy, flexibility in defining educational offerings, and autonomy in resource management, ensuring budget stability and predictability.
On potential changes, Fernando Alexandre did not specify but mentioned issues such as the binary system and the electoral process for institutional bodies, topics that divide the parties.
“It is very important that the political system—the Government and then the Assembly of the Republic—has the capacity to conclude this process, which institutions have awaited since 2013, so that they indeed receive a legal regime suitable for the times we live in and what our country needs,” he emphasized.
Fernando Alexandre insisted on the “urgency of making this change” and aimed for the approval of the new regime by September.
Apart from enhancing autonomy, the RJIES proposed by the previous executive envisioned the merger of universities and polytechnics and the integration of private institutions into public ones. It maintains the binary model but allows for system evolution and flexibility.
