A group of around one hundred parents, excluding students, gathered between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. to raise awareness about the condition of a school built in 1997, which has not received any maintenance or renovations since its inception, explained Álvaro Ramos from the parents’ association.
“Nearly 30 years have passed, and we’re witnessing the consequences. The school’s façade is crumbling, playgrounds are closed, bathrooms are frequently clogged, there are leaks throughout the building, and uneven pavements exacerbate the growing problems,” Ramos reported.
He highlighted the danger posed by marble slabs detaching from the façade, describing it as “extremely dangerous and potentially lethal” to anyone passing underneath.
Ramos stated that the parents’ association has been campaigning for two years, staging protests and attending public meetings at the city council, municipal assembly, and parish council, “to pressure authorities into initiating renovations.”
“An initial promise was made by councilwoman Sofia Athayde, which I believe was made without full awareness of the issue. It was a rather impulsive promise, following a 2023 protest that received TV coverage. Subsequent face-to-face meetings with the council quickly followed, prompting that promise,” he clarified.
Currently, according to Ramos, the city council’s administration has promised that renovations will progress and that the Directorate-General of School Establishments (DGEstE) will oversee the project.
“We’re being strung along on a series of promises,” Ramos lamented, adding that the parents’ association has been informed of an existing project plan, yet DGEstE has not initiated the tender process.
Ramos also mentioned that parents will continue to exert pressure during city council meetings and are preparing for an upcoming meeting with the Parish Council of Parque das Nações and DGEstE, though the date remains unspecified.
In a statement, the parents’ association recounted a severe incident where a first-grade student fell from approximately two meters due to a faulty playground structure. The incident, which occurred months ago, has not yet been addressed.
The communication further noted that the school is surrounded by safety barriers, and both playgrounds have been closed for months due to unsafe conditions.
