Security of schoolchildren in Faro is at risk because the number of janitors watching over them has been cut to breaking point. This is a problem affecting most schools in Portugal.
Who says this are the parents of children in the Montenegro grouping of schools. They say accidents and incidences of drug taking and bullying are now on the increase. In some cases, there are over 200 children left in the care of just two janitors.
“It is humanly impossible for just one janitor to be on watch over 100 or more pupils,” Catarina Marques, president of the group of schools’ parents association, told Correio da Manhã newspaper.
Marques gave the example of one child who had fallen badly during break, “without any school worker having seen the accident”. The child was only later transported to hospital.
“The increase of consumption of drugs within the school buildings and episodes of bullying are other worries of parents,” writes Correio da Manhã.
Thus the parents’ demonstration, staged earlier this week, was designed to push for more staff to look after their children.
Parents of schoolchildren attending public schools that the Algarve Resident spoke to have confirmed the problem of a lack of school staff is general.
