The political party IL is urgently calling for a hearing to clarify a situation that they claim threatens the reputation of an institution, highlighting that the Inspectorate-General for Education and Science (IGEC) found no legal basis for the opening of certain student places.
This request follows a report by the newspaper Expresso, in which the Rector of the University of Porto alleged receiving pressure from several “influential” individuals, whose identities remain undisclosed, to allow 30 candidates entrance into the Faculty of Medicine despite their failure to meet the minimum grade requirements in a special admissions test meant for graduates in other fields.
The IL points out that the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation released a statement contradicting the Expresso report, specifically regarding the publishing of those extra placements without rectoral approval in violation of competition rules, denying any involvement of the minister, and refuting the Rector of the University of Porto’s claims.
Faced with these “contradictions and accusations,” the IL demands an urgent parliamentary hearing involving Education Minister Fernando Alexandre and University of Porto Rector António Sousa Pereira.
The party underscores that the aim of the hearings is to gain clarification about the situation, citing non-compliance with current regulations, contradictions with the IGEC opinion, unapproved lists by the rector, suspicions of favoritism, and potential damage to the institutions’ reputation.
As reported by Expresso, Rector António Sousa Pereira stated receiving pressure from “influential people with access to power,” though refraining from revealing names.
According to the publication, the matter reached the Education Minister, who reportedly called the rector to express willingness to create extraordinary vacancies for candidates, conditional on legal foundations, allowing those who failed to meet the minimum required score in the special admissions test access to the Faculty of Medicine.
Education, Science and Innovation Minister Fernando Alexandre confirmed to the newspaper the essence of the conversation, stating that the option to create additional vacancies was expressed, contingent upon a legal framework.
The Expresso article highlights the case of 30 candidates who applied through a special access path for graduates, but scored below the required 14 points in an obligatory knowledge test, leading to automatic disqualification under competition regulations published in the “Diário da República”.
In his statement, the Education, Science and Innovation Minister denied exerting any pressure on the University of Porto’s rector to irregularly admit candidates to the medical course or suggesting any solutions contradicting existing legal frameworks.
