Following controversy over data about students without classes released last year by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI), Minister Fernando Alexandre requested an audit from KPMG, which concluded that “the current process of determining students without classes does not allow for an accurate count of students without classes.”
The audit identified “gaps and shortcomings that undermine the reliability of the data reported by the Directorate-General for School Establishments (DGEstE) concerning the number of students without classes in a subject, as well as the possibility of verifying this number for the academic years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025.”
In light of these issues, KPMG recommends the implementation of a system that “allows for timely and centralized collection of information directly from schools” regarding the number of students without classes. This could be achieved through “the collection and compilation of class summaries” available in electronic format.
According to the MECI, this new solution will be implemented starting from the next academic year, aiming to “monitor with precision, credibility, and transparency the number of students without classes in each subject, at different times, and throughout the school year.”
The purpose of this project, the ministry adds, is to support the adoption of public policy measures to mitigate situations of students being without classes for extended periods, “thus ensuring equity in access to quality education, with better learning outcomes and a higher probability of success throughout the educational journey.”
