The president of the National Association of Directors of Public Schools (Andaep) defended today, in a meeting with the Minister of Education, the reversal of digital tests in the 9th grade, warning of unequal conditions among students.
The Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, is today receiving associations representing school principals to discuss the holding of the 9th grade final exams in digital format, which has been contested by teachers and principals.
At the end of the meeting, the president of ANDAEP said he expected a decision from the executive soon and argued that the best option would be to hold the exams on paper.
“Because some students don’t have direct contact with digital material, and because the principle of equality and fairness could be at stake, the tests could be taken on paper,” said Filinto Lima, speaking to Lusa news agency.
During the morning, the minister had already announced that a decision would be made this week as to whether the school exams would take place on paper or in digital format, but he stressed that his predecessor “left no plan B”.
Filinto Lima doesn’t anticipate this being an obstacle and believes that there is still time to implement paper tests, a format that Andaep advocates for this school year, without rejecting the dematerialization of external evaluation.
“What’s missing this year, for example, is that we have broken computers in schools waiting to be repaired,” he explained, reporting that there are students without computers “for several months” because there are no technicians to repair the equipment.
In Porto, on the sidelines of a debate on April 25 in which he accompanied the President of the Republic, the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation acknowledged the “urgency of making a decision regarding the format of the exams”, stressing that “an analysis” is being made and a decision will be taken “this week”.
“We’re gathering more information so that we have as much information as possible and we can guarantee that students will be able to sit the exams on a level playing field throughout the country. No student can be disadvantaged because their school doesn’t have the right conditions,” said the minister, speaking to journalists.
Meanwhile, computer science teachers began a strike today over technical support for digital tests and support and maintenance of the equipment that will be used, which they say does not fall within their remit.
The strike was called by the National Association of Computer Science Teachers (Anpri) and the National Federation of Teachers (Fenprof), who hope to extend it until the end of the school year.
