The Association of Private and Cooperative Educational Establishments (AEEP) has recently submitted its positions to parliamentary political parties, which will be discussed at the National Education Congress commencing today in Lisbon.
This evening, representatives from the PSD, PS, Chega, IL, PCP, and CDS will gather in a roundtable to share their visions for private education and will address AEEP’s proposals, as stated by the association’s executive director. The event, planned since last year, coincides with the electoral campaign purely by chance, he assured.
The private education sector advocates for the freedom to recruit graduates from diverse fields to teach. Rodrigo Queiroz e Melo believes that schools can provide the necessary training to transform these individuals into excellent teachers.
“We see no reason why a graduate in Political Science cannot teach History. Often, the best of each generation have not pursued Education degrees,” he stated.
Currently, schools can hire teachers with “proper qualifications,” yet the law restricts someone with a background in Political Science from teaching middle school History due to lacking specific scientific area credits, Rodrigo Queiroz e Melo explained.
“I can teach Philosophy at the high school level if I have a degree in Philosophy, but not if I graduated in Classical Studies,” he added, noting that such professionals would still be required to undergo pedagogical training courses in colleges.
Another desired change for the next legislative period is the freedom to structure curricula: “Imagine allocating five weekly hours for Mathematics. We argue that this time could be split between classroom work and home study, including online learning. For teenagers, needing more time for arts and sports, homework could count as curricular time,” he exemplified.
The AEEP also proposes measures for families paying school fees, suggesting a significant increase in tax reductions under the IRS.
“The state already saves by not having these students in public education, so it should stop taxing the portion of salaries spent on fees,” the sector representative remarked.
Currently, 20% of students attend private or cooperative schools, with some not paying fees. These include students in areas without public schools who attend private institutions with association contracts or students in specialized artistic education covered by sponsorship contracts funded by the Ministry of Education.
Rodrigo Queiroz e Melo criticized the outdated and “miserable” financial terms of these contracts, emphasizing the urgency of updates.
Over the next two days, numerous speakers and guests will discuss these challenges and opportunities in private education, such as integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into education.
“We can’t envision education without teachers, but we see AI as an opportunity to enhance the teaching process and serve as an aid, freeing teachers from some tasks,” he mentioned, citing the example of test preparation and grading.
The Congress, marking AEEP’s 50th anniversary at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, will also explore continuous education from zero to six years old, the internationalization of education, and families’ ability to choose schools.
