This Monday, opposition parties criticized the Minister of Education for recognizing the restoration of teachers’ working hours only after the government left, an issue that João Costa ignored in the PISA debate.
In an urgent debate requested by the IL after the 2022 PISA results came out last week, the opposition recalled statements made by the education minister on Tuesday when he accepted the ability of teachers to restore all their frozen working hours. the demand is now included in the proposal of PS leader candidate Pedro Nuno Santos.
In the Liberals’ opening speech, IL leader Rui Rocha criticized the latest Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results.
The MP refused to see this as a consequence of the pandemic, saying it was “PISA PS, António Costa and João Costa”, and blamed the socialist government for the decline in student skills, which he said was worrying.
According to Rui Rocha, one of the factors contributing to the problems in education is the “constant conflict between teachers and the Ministry of Education”, a conflict unnecessary since João Costa, “who has always refused to create conditions for the restoration of teachers’ work at the time, now understands that there is a place for this restoration.”
As for the PSD, Sonia Ramos criticized the “failure of the PS’s educational policy”, accusing the Socialists of ending “the hope for public schools” and being responsible “for the failure of generations”.
“You have such a flaw in your resume. How many times have you stated that there is no question of reinstating your seniority? Do you have the audacity to come now and say that it is still possible to recover? What a mess? this?” he accused.
Considering this a “pre-election somersault,” the deputy accused the PS of being an “acrobat party.”
João Costa, speaking almost at the final stage of the debate, ignored the issue of full compensation for teachers’ seniority, which led to the filing of more than five thousand notices of strikes in the last school year alone, strikes that have continued into the current year. academic year.
The minister focused on the PISA report, arguing that the most important thing is “to make the results the subject of investigation, as MP Joana Mortagua said, and not a simplistic and reductive analysis.”
In his criticism, he pointed the finger at MPs who chose to “exclude from the analysis” some data, such as Rui Rocha, who did not mention that the decline in Portugal’s OECD average was “not statistically significant”, or Sonia Ramos, who said that the average the figure has dropped slightly due to the entry of new countries, ignoring the fact that the average is always a “fixed set of countries”.
Regarding the SDP MP’s criticism that “the government has destroyed public schools”, he recalled that research had shown that there were no significant differences between student outcomes in private and public education, but this, he said, “does not correspond to the commercial ethos of the SDP “
Regarding the PCP, Alfredo Maia criticized the IL because “it requires not just urgent discussions, but rather the development of options,” recalling that the liberals were on the side of those who voted against the communist proposal to take into account full-time teachers. one of the topics on which it is necessary to confront the PS Government.
Regarding BE, Joana Mortagua felt it necessary to carefully analyze the reasons that led to the PISA results, but reiterated that “more resources for public schools” were needed and a minister was needed who did not recognize the right of teachers only to be on duty. when he left.
The PS panel, through Porfirio Silva, defended public schools and the fact that they welcome everyone and do not shirk their responsibilities, noting that “some do not seem to know that the Pisa 2022 results are an anomaly in global terms.”
The Education Minister acknowledged last Tuesday the possibility of teachers reinstating all frozen working hours after the demand became part of Pedro Nuno Santos’ bid to lead the PS.
João Costa admitted that the demand, which he has always considered “fair”, could be satisfied if PS candidate Pedro Nuno Santos wins the legislative elections in March.
The minister recalled that the proposal presented by Pedro Nuno Santos “indicates the continuation of the path of revenue return” that began in 2015 and which leads to the “restoration of working hours for the entire public administration”, in which teachers are not involved. omitted.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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