End of year evaluations must go ahead, with minimum services
Striking teachers have received the ‘news’ that they claim is illegal … from a court. The bottom line is whether they like it or not, they must provide minimum services through their planned strike against end of year evaluations, so that pupils are not adversely affected.
The Ministry of Education has today confirmed that final assessments of 9th, 11th and 12th year pupils, as well as “all procedures leading to such assessments” and the final test of 9th year pupils in mathematics, will be going ahead next week (June 16) thanks to the court’s decree for minimum services which came through last night.
As Lusa explains, the Ministry requested the setting of minimum services to “guarantee the interests of students and their families”, particularly in terms of access to higher education.
The court had already decreed minimum services in respect of 12th year pupils – but this new decree covers final assessments of 9th, 10th and 11th years as well.
What does not appear to be covered are national exams for secondary schools (below 9th grade), or the key Portuguese test (that counts for whether or not pupils move up a grade at the end of the year).
The decision is “contested” by Mário Nogueira, the leader of the platform of nine teaching syndicates, as well as the more radical union S.T.O.P, add reports – but this doesn’t mean teachers can ignore it.
