I’m just a secondary school in Portugal.
for 27 years (alreday!).
I’ve been in Braga last 10th. I loved listening to you. Everyone calls me crazy when I talk about my way of understanding learning (and helping learning, not TEACHING). Mainly when I speak as a teachers trainer.

I’m a dreamer concerning education (& life as well), but:

Please, don´t get impressed with portuguese campaign of magallen. just marketing.
well, some PCs for schools indeed, but at school they don´t work because there´s no money for wi-fi taxes in schools. In my school there are 15 laptops but that´s a problem to ask for them to classrooms – they must be brought by a worker, under our signature and responsability – and just for a class at a time (in the whole school). And world wide they don’t work.

In fact, today in Portugal Education is in such a bad situation that this month 700 teachers asked for retirement with lost of money – and they love to teach, but governement is asking too much written papers! No time for school – teachers are working about 50h a week and not for their students. Last year 3 500 nteachers asked for retirement and this year it is already near 5 000!
And there´s an environment of fear in schools – our government is democratic because it was ellected by the people but is not acting in a democratic way (I think I can be punished by saying so!). But please read portuguese papers and you’ll find what they say about present education politics.

A program called New opportunities (Novas Oportunidades) is giving a degree in 4 or 5 months in private schools while regular sts must attend classes for 3 or 4 years and exams at the end. Our government only wants to show europe an increase in nº of degrees but not in real knowledge.

Everyone at school is so worried that next 8 or 15 November there will be a great walking over Lisbon to show our disapproval. No political (party) intention – just a whole profetional class near to a breakdown.

Although I’m still fond of helping my sts learning. That´s why I was in Braga and always trying new ways, knowing that persons are the most important in the education system and in life, even in the digital era – “we are the web”.

Please go on speaking about open schools – walls make it a prison.

Glad for meeting you in my life!

Madalena Relvão

dirk

Just proving that I am using my new toy. Am getting superfast on I-pod touch. Sitting in pub playing with bloom. Try it