600 Primary Schools Closing

The Portuguese education authorities are having a reshuffle of Primary Schools throughout Portugal, it has been expected for some time but then announced quite suddenly, with the end of the school year only days away.

As birth rates have dropped the number of children attending the village Primary schools has also dropped, and although it is nice for the children to be taught in small groups the economics of it need to be considered. All schools with less than 20 pupils will close, this adds up to around 600 Primary Schools. Some will close at the end of this week and others will be announced towards the end of July and the last throughout the next school year.

Venda dos Olivais, in Alvaiázere is in the first group. Although many parents and teachers will be sad to see these schools close, in reality many of  school which are closing (like  Venda dos Olivais) have been neglected over recent years and the children will be moved to other schools with better facilities and equipment. The Secretary of State for Education, João Mata, saud recently " he conditions that the Government determins as essential for a school remaining open are the existence of a canteen ,IT rooms and rooms for teaching English and Music". In many cases the smaller schools will be amalgamated with another village school that has the required facilities and more children.

It is the children who will be the ones to benefit from this programme. In the current system a school with 18 children has 1 teacher for all students in years 1 – 4 but by joining with another school they get another teacher. More than 18 pupils must have at least 2 teachers.

My boys are really looking forward to their new school, and as all of their friends are going with them it won’t be a big move. I am also looking forward to them going as at least they will have a working heating system next winter!

witten by Wendy Manning

15th June 2010