Miguel A. Lopes / Lusa
The Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre
Minister Fernando Alexandre announced this Thursday a reform in the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, with the extinction of several entities, including the Foundation for Science and Technology, which will be integrated into new agencies.
The Minister of Education, Fernando Alexandreannounced a significant reform In the ministry that protects, with extinction of various entities, including the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), whose valences move to the new Agency for Research and Innovation (AII).
The reform was approved Thursday to the Council of Ministers, at the end of which, at a press conference, Fernando Alexandre justified the restructuring, describing his ministry as a “anacronic structure”, With fragmented organizations, disintegrated information systems and a disarticulated governance.
Com 18 entities and 27 upper leaders Among the non -higher and higher education services, science and innovation, the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI) will now have only seven entities and 27 leaders superior, with the integration of extinct organisms in new entities.
Like FCT, the National Innovation Agency (Ani) is also extinguished, whose functions will be performed.
Fernando Alexandre promises a “Very large transformation of the system”With the purpose of “Simplify the processes, simplify the list of central services with partners and improve coordination among the different levels of administration ”.
The main objective of the reform, he said, is to “ensure equal opportunities in accessing quality education throughout the national territory”, ending with a “Dysfunctional organization”.
With regard to higher education, the government announced the extinction of the Directorate-General for Education and Science Statics (DGEEC), the General Secretariat of Education and Science (SGEC), as well as the Institute of Financial Management of Education (Igefe) creating in place of these Directorate-General for Studies, Planning and Evaluation.
The General Inspection of Education and Science (IGEC) remains.
Another important data is the creation of a Institute for Higher Educationentity that will absorb the Directorate-General of Higher Education and the Agency Erasmus+.
With regard to the extinction of FCT and Ani, Fernando Alexandre stressed that the government “ensures that the financing of science is preservedAnd promises to “give stability to this financing”.
“Let’s propose four -year investmentensure predictability and ensure the protection of financing of the most basic and fundamental investigation that is essential, ”said the minister.” Valencies are added, but the paradigm is completely different. “
On the possible savings and eventual elimination of jobsFernando Alexandre stressed that, with less entities, it is natural that savings exist, but assured that this was not the great goal.
The minister also admitted that Part of the 500 teachers who today work in the different entities of Meci can “return to schools”.
As for deadlines, Fernando Alexandre said that the reform will have to follow the period of normal processing in legislative termsbut it is to produce immediate effects “Because it’s really urgent”.
