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O Ministro da Educação de Portugal, Fernando Alexandre, reconheceu problemas nos dados sobre alunos sem aulas. Antes, disseram que havia 90% menos alunos sem aulas, mas isso pode não ser verdade. Agora, o Ministério está verificando os números novamente para garantir a sua precisão . Há preocupação e pedidos de mais explicações.
Translation
The Portuguese Minister of Education, Fernando Alexandre, acknowledged issues with the data concerning students without classes. It was previously reported that there were 90% fewer students without classes, but this may not be accurate. The Ministry is now re-evaluating the numbers to ensure their accuracy. There is concern and calls for further clarification.
Exercise: Text comprehension
Question 1: What problem did the Portuguese Education Minister admit to?
He admitted to problems with the data about students without classes.
Question 2: What is the Ministry doing to address the data issue?
The Ministry is checking the numbers again to ensure their accuracy.
Exercise: Vocabulary
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▌29/11/2024
In recent developments, the Portuguese Minister of Education, Science, and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, has acknowledged inconsistencies in the official statistics regarding students lacking classes, which were initially presented by the Government. These statistics claimed a remarkable reduction of 90% in students missing out on at least one subject during the first term compared to the previous year. However, the minister has admitted that these figures may not accurately reflect reality due to contradictory data received at various stages.
According to a report by Expresso, the minister confessed that the current lack of reliable information renders any comparison with the previous academic year impossible. Discrepancies have emerged between the numbers shared by the former Minister of Education, João Costa, and those communicated by the government, prompting the Ministry of Education to question the accuracy of all the data released thus far.
Portuguese Education Minister Faces Scrutiny Over Data Error (Illustration)
In light of the controversy, the Ministry has instructed the General Directorate of Schools (DGEstE) to re-examine the data for the 2023/2024 school year to ensure its accuracy. The figures initially disclosed by DGEstE reported 7,381 students without classes at the start of the academic year, which reduced to 3,295 by the end of the first term. These numbers significantly differ from the earlier government estimate of 21,000 students affected, which the government had used to justify the claimed 90% reduction.
The situation has sparked a request from the political party Iniciativa Liberal (IL) for an urgent hearing with the minister in the parliamentary committee for Education and Science. The IL emphasizes the need for clarity, stating that since the campaign dubbed Plan +Classes +Success, launched at the beginning of the school year, the numbers presented have consistently been flawed and corrected subsequently.
The minister has expressed regret over the misleading data and has ordered an external audit to further examine the figures related to the number of students without classes. Meanwhile, political and public scrutiny continues to mount as calls for a comprehensive explanation grow louder.
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