Portugal's Socialist Party threatens parliamentary inquiry into national exams over lack of clarity

The Portuguese Socialist Party (PS) said it will not dismiss the possibility of a parliamentary commission of inquiry if the government continues to fail to provide full explanations for the recent problems with the national exams. Deputy Porfírio Silva told reporters, “If this continues and the lack of clarifications persists, we cannot rule out the need for a parliamentary inquiry to find out exactly what happened and why.”

The PS criticised the education minister’s handling of the issue and the prime minister’s accusation that some teachers were responsible for the disturbances. The party emphasised the importance of publishing the exam score tables on Friday with rigor and reliability, stating that this is essential for the lives of the students affected. The statement was made ahead of the state of the nation debate in Lisbon.