The Movimento Missão Escola Pública (MEP) in Cabo Verde has called for increased public investment in education to improve learning outcomes, citing the country's poor performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The movement, which represents teachers, argues that the government's focus on comparing education policies before and after 2015 has ignored other crucial factors affecting learning outcomes. According to the MEP, a comprehensive approach is needed to address the decline in education standards.
The MEP's demands come after the country's education minister, Fernando Alexandre, and his predecessor, João Costa, testified before the Education and Science Committee on the PISA results. The committee heard that Portugal's students performed poorly in reading, mathematics, and science, with the worst results in reading. The MEP argues that the decline in education standards cannot be attributed solely to changes in curriculum and evaluation policies. Instead, the movement advocates for a more significant investment in education to recover the levels of investment recommended by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The MEP proposes several measures to improve education outcomes, including a deep review of essential learning objectives, recentering the curriculum on knowledge, rigor, and demand. The movement also suggests external evaluation with an impact on student classification, with a 20% weighting in the 4th year, 25% in the 6th year, and 30% in the 9th year. Additionally, the MEP recommends returning to four compulsory exams in secondary education, with a 30% weighting in the final classification. However, the movement emphasizes that these measures will not produce the desired results without sufficient teachers.
The MEP highlights the shortage of teachers as a significant challenge facing the education system. According to the movement, the number of teacher training graduates has decreased by around 70% since 2003, from 5,621 to 1,674 in 2022. This shortage has led to an aging teaching workforce, increased retirements, and difficulties in recruiting new teachers. The MEP argues that the lack of teachers is a structural problem that cannot be ignored and requires a comprehensive solution.
To address the teacher shortage, the MEP proposes a strategy that combines structural valorization of the profession with immediate measures to respond to the lack of teachers. The movement demands a salary review and improvement of working conditions to make the teaching career more attractive. The MEP also suggests providing housing solutions for displaced teachers, particularly in regions with recruitment difficulties, and increasing the commuting allowance to reflect real costs.
The MEP's proposals also include bonifying service time to incentivize teachers to work in schools with the greatest need. The movement emphasizes that recovering educational standards requires investment and sufficient teachers. The MEP's position is supported by data from the PISA, which shows that Portugal's students have lost over a year of study due to declining education standards.
Education Minister Fernando Alexandre has attributed the decline in education standards to the negative impacts of social media and the devaluation of external evaluation by previous governments. In contrast, former Education Minister João Costa emphasized the need for early support for students with difficulties and a comprehensive intervention that addresses the challenges faced by students' families. The MEP's demands are seen as a crucial step towards addressing the challenges facing Cabo Verde's education system.
Key points
- The Movimento Missão Escola Pública demands increased public investment in education to improve learning outcomes.
- The MEP proposes a comprehensive approach to address the teacher shortage, including a salary review and improvement of working conditions.
- The movement advocates for a deep review of essential learning objectives and external evaluation with an impact on student classification.
