«More than 20 years ago, when I was a student here, there was already talk about building a new school. Therefore, today is a very happy day for me». The words are from Daniel Marques, saxophonist at Sociedade Filarmónica Silvense, yesterday, during the inauguration of the new building of the Escola Básica do 1.º Ciclo no. 1 de Silves, which was inaugurated on Wednesday afternoon.
Daniel and the remaining three musicians from the Filarmónica Silvense Saxophone Quartet were there to provide music for the ceremony, presided over by Rosa Palma, president of the Chamber of Silves, but also with the presence of José Apolinário, president of the Regional Coordination and Development Commission, entity that manages the European funds that paid for a large part of the new school, or Alexandre Lima, regional delegate of DGEstE, among many mayors, teachers, technicians, the parish priest, former students, some parents.
The new school – designed by architects Ricardo Pina, Paulo Simões and Jorge Guerreiro – replaces one of the two buildings of the old Silves Primary School, which, due to structural problems, had been deactivated a few years ago.
This building, dating from 1951, presented such problems that, as one of the teachers explained to the Sul Informação, «it was not possible to recover it and it had to be demolished».
Some of the students, however, had to be moved to the C+S Garcia Domingues School, also in Silves. In total, there were eight classes, from the 3rd and 4th years, who were there and who, now, with the construction of the new building, are making it their debut.
The new building has two floors, with twelve classrooms and a computer room, toilets for students, teachers and staff.
With this intervention, the outdoor spaces in the common and central part of the school complex were also reorganized, with the creation of a games area for physical activity and recreation for the educational community. There is also an area with educational gardens.
In total, the work cost around 2,2 million euros, of which just over 1 million was contributed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The remainder is assumed directly by the Silves Chamber.
The 1st Cycle Basic School No. 1 in Silves is now divided into two buildings: an older one, which will accommodate four classes and restore the multipurpose room and library, and this new one, which will accommodate 12 classes.
Sandra Nunes, coordinator of this school establishment, told the Sul Informação that, in the school year that now opens, there are 315 students, divided into four classes each year.
At the inauguration ceremony, Mayor Rosa Palma, herself a teacher by profession, expressed her “happiness” at the completion of this investment.
Silves City Council, announced the mayor, is making a «big commitment to improve conditions for our children».
This is not the only investment underway in the municipality's schools: EB1 in Alcantarilha is in the final stages of construction (2,1 million euros, due to open next year), while the Municipality has plans to apply, under of the PRR, requalification works at EB 2,3 Garcia Domingues (Silves) and João de Deus (São Bartolomeu de Messines).
Rosa Palma said that she was just waiting for “the architectural, technical and execution projects to be developed” before moving forward with the candidacy.
For his part, José Apolinário, president of CCDR Algarve, highlighted the «commitment of the Municipalities of the Algarve, and of the Municipality of Silves, in this specific case, in mobilizing European funds to improve and qualify school infrastructures. This programming period will result in schools that are more functional and prepared to welcome our children and young people».
«It's a good thing that European funds go to schools!», he emphasized.
António Condessa, director of the Silves School Group, considered that the new facilities are «an added value for the school and for the children», and hoped that «the new building meets the needs of all of us».
Among the many teachers who attended the inauguration, the conversation was divided between those who were happy to teach in the new building and those who regretted having to continue in the old one. But, in the end, they all agreed: “now we have conditions, for ourselves and for our boys”.
Photos: Elisabete Rodrigues | Sul Informação
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