Approved and enacted at the end of December, the State Budget for 2017 (OE2017) refers to the areas of Science, Technology and Higher Education will receive a share of approximately 10.5% higher than they had been allocated in the previous year, being that public investment should be increased by 4.5%.
“); document.write(“”);
Thus, the amount in question will be approximately 2.685 million euros this year, compared to 2.430 million euros in 2016.
The TeK did an analysis of the measures envisaged and invited the various parties with a parliamentary seat to comment on the envisaged measures and assessing whether they are enough to give a response to the shortcomings that have been highlighted in the scientific community, but not all of the Parliamentary Groups responded in a timely manner.
on the side Of the scientific community “claims” and requests had already been known when the first proposal was revealed, and the responsible Minister admitted that the budget was áquem of the desired.
In a statement, the ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, detailing that the increase of the share of the budget is due to the enhancement of Higher Education in Portugal and the strengthening of the aid government to the admission and attendance of Higher Education, as well as to the promotion of scientific employment in the country.
reportedly, the Government wants, above all, to broaden the range of support available to Higher Education and to strengthen the investment in Research and Development, so that Portugal can be a country increasingly competitive in these three areas.
Both of the ambitions-key have a common denominator: the scientific employment.
Taking these aspects into consideration, the Executive enlisted in the OE2017 a series of measures whose implementation has as objective to promote a Portugal more scientific, more technological, and more academically educated.
Between them, is provided for the establishment of closer relations between the universities, polytechnics and research centres, in order to promote the employment of the scientific and academic community.
In the document, it is also explained that the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) currently has a budget of 55 million euros. Under the new OE, this value will be added to the funds allocated to Higher Education institutions.
in addition, it is estimated a 5% increase of the investment in the Scholarships program of the Social Action for this level of education, a value that should reach 146 million euros this year.
The Government moves forward that if you want to launch also a participatory budget for the areas of Science and Technology, whose goal is to "democratize" the world in Portuguese science and bringing citizens closer to these two sources of innovation and competitiveness.
The "left" do not consider that the OE2017 is enough
Invited by the Tec to comment on the measures, the deputy bloquista Luís Monteiro says that the measures advanced in the State Budget for 2017 in the areas of Science, Technology and Higher Education seek not only to change "scholarships precarious for precarious contracts".
The spokesman for the Left Bloc (BE) refers to this OE seeks to strengthen the relations between the Government, the coordinating Council of Higher Polytechnic Institutes (CCIPS) and the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities (CRUP), by placing in the hands of the rectors ‘ power is too concentrated that it does not promote democracy within these institutions, and increases the precariousness in the areas of science and technology.
in The eyes of the BE, the priorities set by the minister Manuel Heitor not adapted to foster the growth of Portugal in these strategic areas.
with Respect to scientific employment, one of the main areas of focus in the state budget for this year, Luís Monteiro says, "it is necessary to open new careers and join all precarious in them", stressing that it is untenable that those who produce knowledge are subject to conditions of instability.
on the other hand, stressed that the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, touts the so-called Model Foundations as the best solution for the management of Higher Education institutions. However, the BE considers that "the logic of private management of a public service is a fraud" and that must be combated.
"Only a model of management that is democratic and a sense of public service mission ensure a Higher Education for all", sentencia Luis Monteiro, adding that the priorities for this year should focus on the dignity of the scientific work, the design of a new model of management of Higher Education and the development of a plan for the elimination of tuition fees.
But the Left Block is not alone in his discontent.
Although it considers that the measures advanced by the Government in the OE2017 come to value the Portuguese scientific community and provide refund you some of the rights they lost, the Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) does not believe that these arrangements are the most appropriate.
The congresswoman, Ana Mesquita, the coordinator of the parliamentary group in the Committee of Education and Science, explains to TeK that "it is necessary to go further", and stressed that there are still gaps to fill in with regard to the National Scientific and Technological System (NSTS), which eventually promote the precariousness, the difficulty of access to scientific careers, the shortage of researchers and the disinvestment in the areas of Science and Technology.
In Portugal, there are only seven researchers per every 1,000 inhabitants, and the investment made in each one of them is only half of the value of the average european.
The deputy, the communist points out the lack of public investment in SCNT as being at the root of all these problems, adding that "no public system of research and science can build on the basis of the devaluation of the work, in the imposition of unpaid work, in the absence of fundamental rights at work and in life."
The scheme of employment of phd holders has also to be revised, according to the vision of the party which considers that it is not enough to give an answer to the problems assessed in the area of Science and Technology.
THE CFP, such as the Left Bloc, is convinced that the strengthening of the Model Foundation is one of the measures most lesantes that is advanced in the State Budget for this year.
Says the deputy parliamentary that this scheme causes that the institutions of Higher Education are dependent on grants and private interests that them of their autonomy to carry out their own scientific policies.
also calls for the strengthening of the role of the State Laboratories as key elements of the definition and pursuit of scientific and technological policies of the Government.
"THE PCP considers that it is necessary to define and plan the science and technology policy that serves the national interest, to expand the scientific potential and put to the service of the people and the Country," says Ana Mosque, referring to the fact that this is not something that is adequately provided for in the State Budget for this year.
we Need a new educational model
Focusing on a more comprehensive analysis of the Education, the party People-Animals-Nature (PAN), in turn, considers that the stakes of the Government in this area should focus on the transition from the current paradigm of hierarchical and developer of competition to what he describes as being "a system of education more horizontal and cooperative", advancing by way of example, the system practiced by the School from the Bridge, a public institution.
Francisco Guerrero, advisor to the parliamentary of the PAN, declares to the TeK that there is an ethical side in the areas of Science and Technology that should not be overlooked, and welcomes the Executive by the introduction of a discipline of environmental education in the curriculum in schools.
The spokesman stresses that in a society in which technology has an increasing importance it is important to enable measures that promote social contact, "because only a strong community and together can face the challenges of environmental, social and economic that lie ahead".
Science and Technology per se, does not have any value, says Francis Warrior, if they are not accompanied by a reconfiguration of the scenario the socio-economic that is living today and a new educational model that promotes creativity and cooperation.
editorial Note: the news has been changed to include more information.
No comments:
Post a Comment