“There are schools with just one staff member for more than 60 children and others where essential services like the library are closed due to a lack of available personnel. This is not merely an administrative issue; it poses a real risk to student safety and exacerbates inequalities in education,” stated the vice-president of the PS/Açores parliamentary group, Carlos Silva, in a press release issued by the party.
The socialist deputy highlighted that the shortage of human resources jeopardizes “the safety of students and staff, as well as essential support for teachers and the daily operation of schools.”
“In addition to the workload on active staff, many of whom are nearing retirement or on medical leave, there are instances where teachers take on tasks outside their duties to prevent the collapse of school services,” added PS/Açores.
The party deemed “unacceptable that, despite repeated warnings from schools and the educational community,” the Regional Government (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) “has not ensured the necessary increase in operational assistants, especially in socially vulnerable areas such as the municipality of Ribeira Grande,” on the island of São Miguel.
“The government must act now. We cannot accept that the lack of personnel jeopardizes the safety, support for the most vulnerable students, and the normal functioning of schools,” argued the socialist deputy.
PS/Açores also revealed that they have submitted a request for the Regional Government (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) to provide clarifications regarding notifications received by schools, responses issued by the Regional Directorate of Education, and the current number of operational assistants allocated to each educational establishment in the municipality.
