The president of the National Union of Higher Education (SNESup), José Moreira, regrets the disappearance of the Ministry of Higher Education and says that the new Minister of Education, Fernando Alexandre, will have to be a “super minister with super capabilities”.
In statements to Renaissancethe trade unionist expresses his willingness to work with the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, to resolve all the problems faced by teachers and researchers.
José Moreira also shows “a lot of concern about the fact that the Ministry of Higher Education and Science has disappeared, because it means that, at least apparently, the political weight of the sector will decrease in the Council of Ministers”.
José Moreira regrets the “disappearance” of the Ministry of Higher Education
“The issue of staying in a mega Ministry, with a huge agenda of issues to deal with and with issues that are at the forefront of the political agenda, I suppose will make Minister Fernando Alexandre’s work quite difficult”, he highlights.
For the president of SNESup, Fernando Alexandre “he will have to be a super minister with super capabilities, because in addition to the problems with all other education levels, Higher Education and Science have an important set of files on the table that were important to close” .
Students criticize “devaluation” of Higher Education and Science
The higher education student movement also “expresses its vehement rejection” of the decision of the prime minister-designate, Luís Montenegro, “not to create an exclusive ministry for science, technology and higher education”.
“This measure, by combining higher education with other areas of education, demonstrates a clear disrespect for the importance and specificities of higher education and the strategic importance of science for the country’s economic growth”, said the various student federations, in a statement.
By not assigning its own ministry, “the Government makes it clear that it does not recognize the need for specific policies and investments to promote excellence and appreciation of this area in Portugal”.
The higher education student movement considers that the new executive is compromising the future of the country and harming “not only students, but also society as a whole”.
The Government is challenged to “reconsider this decision and give due priority to higher education, guaranteeing it the necessary attention and resources so that it can fully fulfill its mission of training qualified citizens and contributing to the sustainable development of Portugal”.
Economist and former Deputy Secretary of State for Internal Administration Fernando Alexandre was Luís Montenegro’s choice for Minister of Education, Science and Innovation.
The holder of the Education portfolio in the XXIV Constitutional Government was part of the first executive led by Pedro Passos Coelho, between 2013 and 2015, having resigned due to alleged incompatibilities with the then minister Anabela Rodrigues.
[notícia atualizada]
