A school community cancelled by order of the Ministry of Education is refusing to give up.
The parents, teachers and pupils of Aljezur International School returned to the taped up building deemed ‘unfit’ for educational purposes today, to show they believe a judge will rule favourably on the injunction already lodged by the school (with another in the wings, if necessary, backed by parents).
In a demonstration filmed by SIC Notícias, all involved continued to stress there is no need for the hiatus that the school is being put through.
It now seems that the ‘issues’ of suitability hinge on the height of the ceilings, which as co-director Sílvia Catarina has said is something that can be fixed – very possibly during school holidays.
The most important thing now is for children to be allowed back into their classrooms to at least finish the school year.
Teacher Elisabete Santos told the cameras that everything is being kept up-to-date, so that as soon as the school gets the go-ahead to resume lessons, “we will be ready”.
As for the 85 pupils, they are all in a ‘totally safe place’, albeit none have any intention of seeking places at the local Piedade Matoso public school, in Aljezur, which is already suffering from its own problems of overcrowding and problematic infrastructure.
One parent told SIC that his son had been a victim of bullying at Piedade Matoso, which is one of the reasons why the child was moved to Aljezur International School.
In the three weeks since GNR police accompanied ministry of education representatives sent to close the school down, a petition has been launched on the parliamentary website; the Aljezur Young Socialists have thrown their weight behind the school – and Iniciativa Liberal has questioned the Minister of Education on the real motives for closing this school.
So far, there has been nothing further from the ministry, or the minister – who has likened the school to an unlicensed pharmacy selling medication without certification. Considering the school has been in operation for 15 years in Aljezur; has won various awards and recognitions, including from UNESCO; received its permanent licence in 2014 and has sent hundreds of pupils off to further education in diverse countries (where their qualifications have never been questioned), this analogy was nothing short of extraordinary.
Source: SIC Notícias
