The Minister of Education, Fernando Alexandre, defended that increasing class sizes to up to 30 students is provided for by law and refused to say that this measure implies a loss of quality in education. His statements came in response to concerns about the lack of vacancies in schools.
Fernando Alexandre also stated that the lack of school vacancies is linked to the arrival of migrants and delays in the construction of new schools. The minister acknowledges the existing difficulties but insists that the legally provided solution for increasing the number of students per class is adequate.
Regarding the situation in Sintra, Fernando Alexandre guarantees that the issue was resolved and that the data presented by Fenprof (National Federation of Teachers) did not correspond to reality. The minister thus sought to deflect the union's criticisms about the lack of conditions in schools in that region.
