In a letter sent to the EPL Provisional Administrative Committee, which Lusa had access to this Friday, the guardians also considered that the change should have been communicated before enrolment.
The school year at this educational institution begins next week, on 18 September, and parents and guardians say that they were informed about the change in the aforementioned timetable just a few days before classes started, making it impossible for them to make any appropriate logistical and financial planning.
They state that the situation will create unforeseen challenges and difficulties for families, stating that the "abrupt and unexpected" change will compromise the quality of life of students, who are adapted to a specific rhythm.
The EPL, created in the 1980s, was managed by the Portuguese Education Cooperative in Angola until 2021, but, as of 7 September 2021, it has been managed by the Portuguese Ministry of Education, following a dispute with some cooperators.
For the current school year, students in the 1st cycle of EPL, namely in the 1st and 2nd years, will only have classes in the morning shift and those in the 3rd and 4th years will only have classes in the afternoon shift, contrary to the previous school year, they recall.
The guardians understand that the change in shift for their students at EPL will negatively impact the academic performance and emotional well-being of the students who, they point out, were used to the morning shift and will now move to the afternoon shift.
The change in shift should affect, "mainly, the students who studied in the morning shift due to medical advice and who will be forced to return to the afternoon shift", they note, mentioning that the change in shift represents an overload for the guardians whose personal and professional routines are organized based on the current timetable.
They also believe that parents with children in different shifts will face difficulties in ensuring school transport, asking the school's management to reconsider its decision and maintain the previous year's timetable, aiming at the best interests of the students and the well-being of the families.
The EPL Provisional Administrative Committee, in a note to the heads dated Tuesday, argues that the measures implemented are intended to "improve the general functioning of the school", aiming to alleviate the systematic constraints when students enter and leave the morning and afternoon shifts.
According to the committee, this definition of operating the 1st cycle, in a double timetable, aims to dedicate increased attention and extra care by the school to the youngest students, due to the number of students in this cycle.
