The new school year in Sobral de Monte Agraço begins with significant changes in support to families, after an increase of more than 50 percent in the demand for support services in primary education, growth that the Council acknowledges as not expected. Mayor Raquel Lourenço places the response to children and families among the municipality's priorities, emphasising that "the future of our fellow citizens is also built in our schools".
The municipality decided to take over the direct management of the family support component after the negative assessment of the service provided by an external entity in pre-school education and the unavailability of Associação Popular to continue providing this support in primary education. This transition required an additional planning effort, complicated by the fact that more than 65 percent of registrations were made outside the deadline.
In pre-school education it was possible to guarantee a place for all children, with the service having also been extended to the Basic School of Pernigro. In primary education, however, the pressure was greater, resulting in waiting lists that the municipality is now seeking to reduce through the creation of additional groups and the hiring of human resources, through an amendment to the staff map that will be submitted to the Council meeting and the Municipal Assembly.
The start of the school year was also marked by interventions in the school park, including the full repair of the roofing at the Basic School of Sobral de Monte Agraço and Santo Quintino and conservation work at the Basic School of Sapataria. A school transport plan was also implemented for the first time, for a more integrated organisation of the needs of students in the municipality.
