The measures adopted by the Municipality serve to mitigate the possible effects of the pandemic on the educational community and, consequently, on the brigantine population. The municipality’s investment for the academic year 2020/21 – which started on September 17th – translates into another 340 thousand euros, compared to the previous year.
Faced with a pandemic scenario that threatens not only the school community, but also the entire brigantine society, in addition to the measures dictated by the Government, the Municipality of Bragança adopted several other preventive actions to Covid-19, in schools of municipal competence and in collaboration with groupings of the county. The measures adopted concern the organic functioning of schools, the municipal civil protection service and the school transport network.
In the regular operation of schools alone, in relation to the previous year, the Municipality invests another 108,392.97 euros. In addition to school supplements and meals, this amount covers the Activities of Animation and Support for the Family (AAAF), in the extension of their hours and the respective school breaks.
In an atypical year, the timetable and calendar for the school year increased. Which is why AAAF is playing an even more important role, for the benefit of hundreds of brigantine households.
In this academic year, educational establishments also include a greater number of operational assistants and more comprehensive schedules, guaranteeing a reinforcement of human resources to provide better public service and meet various needs, both in the meal service and in the AAAF, fulfilling norms advised by the Directorate-General for Health.
A framework of interventions was also defined to support the resumption of classroom activities in safe conditions, ensuring compliance with the recommendations of the competent health authorities and the technical standards in force.
the Municipality purchased signs, alcohol gel dispensers, surface disinfectant and respective replacement, materials for daily disinfection of spaces, disinfectant carpets, dishes, dishwashers, hangers, shelves and cabinets, as well as masks for Operational Assistants of Pre-School Education Teaching.
This is an investment of more than 17 thousand euros in the acquisition of goods for the direct prevention of the spread of Covid-19, in addition to the creation of internal circulation circuits, in order to avoid crowds of people.
We recall that, in Bragança, pre-school education and the 1st cycle represent, respectively, a universe of 714 and 1 680 children (1 197 of whom are in municipal schools).
As for public transport, in order to respond to changes in the regular activity of schools, the Municipality invested more than 215 thousand euros.
Thus, the Municipality increased the timetable, daily and weekly, and the response capacity of the school transport network, which translates into more hours, more means of transport in circulation and restricted rules for their use.
Note that the Municipality of Bragança was able to ensure, in good time, all the schedules of the school transport network circuits, as articulated with the three School Groups, under the rules imposed by the Directorate-General for Health, in terms of capacity limitations for public transport.
