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The Portuguese Province of the Jesuits announced on last June 12th, that one of their educational institutions will close next academic year. The High-School of Imaculada Conceição (CAIC) was inaugurated in 1955, in Cernache, district of Coimbra, and since then was responsible for the formation of more than 10.000 students, assuming itself, all along 64 years, as a milestone of excellence in education.

This difficult decision proceeds three years of financial crisis, unexpectedly triggered in 2016, after the end of 40 years of financial partnership, once created, between the Portuguese Government and private schools, to ensure the educational rights of Portuguese students, more precisely, those who live in regions with lack of educational institutions. The main cause for that unsustainability comes with the reduced number of students, who have attended CAIC in the last two years, reduced number of registrations for the next school year, and negative prospects for their evolution in subsequent years.

In the last two years, all efforts were made to reconfigured the High-School of Imaculada Conceição (CAIC) to the new condition of private school. Despite the involvement of families, investment in educational innovation and the reinforcement of marketing, measures have been taken to reduce the burden, to involve donors and to attract new students, offering a demanding educational proposal, centred on personal and community development, as dictated by the principles of Ignatian pedagogy. The results obtained in terms of new student enrolment were not, however, as desired.

This way, the immediate closure of CAIC, which will no longer open its doors next school year 2019/2020, it will ensure to those who make up the teaching and non-teaching staff an indemnity for the years of dedication to the service of this apostolic work. Maintaining CAIC in operation would most probably mean being able to fail these people at a particularly demanding time, given the certain worsening of the current financial conditions.

The Jesuits in Portugal pursue, with the same determination, their fundamental option in the Education sector, through their two other High-Schools, located in Lisbon and Santo Tirso.

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