blind obedience
Admiral Gouveia e Melo claims that acts of indiscipline will not be tolerated in the Navy, but how far does this intolerance go? Where would Salgueiro Maia and the “undisciplined” military who took over the Carmo Barracks 49 years ago be the next day if the military coup had failed? They would also have been accused of indiscipline, certainly, and severely punished. What will the Admiral say about the attitude of the insubordinate Corporal who, on that 25th of April, locked himself in his tank, refusing a direct order from a superior to open fire? The military of the NRP Mondego they deserve, at the very least, the benefit of the doubt, not blind condemnation from their superiors.
Luis Silva, Lisbon
The “eyes in the eyes” of Gouveia e Melo
No, it wasn’t eye to eye that Gouveia e Melo spoke with any insurgents on the Portuguese Republic Ship’s garrison Mondego, in service on the islands. No, we don’t talk eye to eye setting up media circuses and putting the finger in the air using the prerogative of not allowing contradictory; no, one does not dialogue, eye to eye, with men and women even if they are subordinates in the chain of command, humiliating them in public audience; no, one cannot command by invective of those who have not yet been heard, also publicly, giving the stamp the exhibition of what seems to be just the usufruct of the right to command.
What Gouveia e Melo did the day before yesterday is revisiting what is based on a Non, or the Vain Glory of Mandar that made many of us freeze in amazement like the Arsenal fans in front of Pedro Gonçalves’ goal: really?!
Conceicao Mendes, Canidelo
“Students will arrive ill-prepared for university”
On the 14th of March, PÚBLICO published an article entitled “’Students will arrive at the university ill-prepared’, warns the Mathematics Society”, where he refers that “the SPM (…) regrets that the scientific societies of Mathematics and Statistics have not been heard” in the elaboration of the new Mathematics programs for secondary education”. I am the coordinator of the Mathematics Working Group appointed by the Ministry of Education and which prepared the proposal for new Mathematics programs for secondary education (Mathematics A, Mathematics B, MACS and Mathematics modules for Vocational Education).
The working group elaborated the proposal that was under public discussion for about three months, conducted public debates, heard scientific societies, professors’ associations and other entities, reformulated the proposal that was under public discussion and prepared the final version that it submitted to homologation, having been homologated by the ministry in January.
I am therefore in a position to categorically deny that “the scientific societies of Mathematics and Statistics have not been heard”. of Physics and Chemistry Teachers, the Portuguese Society for Research in Mathematics Education were all heard in meetings expressly called for this purpose. Some of these entities also sent written opinions and all discussions, all written opinions, were taken into account, as well as the individual opinions received were carefully analysed.
The final version of the four Mathematics programs in question, which was submitted for approval, results from many changes due to the entire period of public discussion, which involved both face-to-face meetings in various parts of the country and online meetings for greater accessibility.
Naturally, there is no unanimous view on the Mathematics curriculum in secondary education. But the team that prepared the proposals accompanied the public discussion and conceived the final proposal (consisting of two mathematicians, a statistician, two mathematics educators and nine secondary, general and professional education teachers from across the country), is aware and proud of the documents produced and believes that they will provide favorable conditions for an improvement in the teaching of Mathematics learning in Portugal, thus forming better citizens in our country.
Jaime Carvalho e Silva, Coimbra