Reducing school drop-outs requires concrete measures, warn experts at the Student Ombudsmen Meeting
The III Interim Meeting of Student Ombudsmen, held on February 7 at the Universidade Europeia, highlighted the urgent need for effective strategies to combat school dropout and guarantee the academic success of higher education students.
During the event, organized by the Portuguese Network of Higher Education Student Ombudsmen (RPPES), experts from the sector addressed critical challenges and proposed concrete solutions to strengthen support for students.
The Minister for Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, attended the opening session and stressed the importance of the Student Ombudsmen, highlighting the quality of the country's higher education institutions: “Portugal is seen as a country that qualifies at the highest level. There is a lot of ambition on the part of our higher education institutions”.
The initial plenary session focused on the contribution of institutional partners, with Joaquim Mourato (DGES) emphasizing the need to strengthen institutional policies to prevent school drop-outs. António Fontaínhas Fernandes (CNAES) advocated greater coordination between regulatory bodies and educational institutions, while Adalberto Campos Fernandes, professor and member of the Advisory Board of the European University, warned of the growing need for emotional and psychological support for students. The working tables highlighted different perspectives on the challenges of academic attendance.
The session “On the trail of solutions” presented practical initiatives to strengthen support for students, including the SuPERA program, developed by the European University and IPAM. Sara Rodrigues de Sousa and Gina Tomé explained how the initiative contributes to preventing school drop-outs, while Pedro Neto Monteiro, president of the Academic Federation, stressed the importance of students' active participation in defining institutional policies.
The rector of the European University, Hélia Gonçalves Pereira, highlighted the institution's commitment to building a more inclusive higher education: “We want to make a difference in higher education through innovation and the ability to break with the conservatism that still exists in a large part of higher education institutions in our country.”
The event ended with a cultural moment provided by the European University Tuna (TUE), bringing to a close a day of reflection and sharing of good practices.
With this meeting, the Portuguese Network of Higher Education Student Ombudsmen reaffirms its commitment to helping improve the student experience in higher education.
