In a brief statement last night, the embattled Aljezur International School has shown that it will not be giving up without a fight.
“This afternoon, the directors and teachers of Aljezur International School met with parents. It became clear from the meeting that parents stand united in their support for the school, expressing deep concern and distress about the current situation,” says the statement.
“They are determined to protect their children’s education and to ensure a learning environment where they can thrive.
“Many of the students are not fluent in Portuguese, which would prevent them from effectively following classes in a public school. For this reason, parents do not consider that option viable.
“Parents also expressed serious concern about the very limited timeframe of only 10 days to find a suitable alternative following the closure notice.
“As a result of today’s meeting, a parents’ committee has been formed. The committee now has legal representation, who will defend the best interests of the children”.
In many ways, the school is back to the position in which it found itself in 2022 – and then also it had the backing of its parents.
Among the mysteries in this situation is the fact that MECI (the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation) is stating for the record this week that the school “has refused to comply with administrative closure orders since 2022, with several orders having been issued to that effect. The most recent one dates from January 2024.”
This belies the fact that the school has been in constant contact with MECI throughout that period, through its own lawyer. There has not been so much ‘refusal to comply’ as to a multitude of questions over why it was so dramatically misled to the detriment of the well-being of its now 85 pupils.
Parents’ support of the school is key. The Resident hopes to bring a further report after speaking to the parents committee over the weekend.
Sources: Expresso/ Lusa/ Aljezur International School
