MY EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

On 1st of October 1964 I went with my mother for the first time to the
primary school of Vasco Esteves de Baixo, making the registration. The
nervousness was great and even greater was the enthusiasm. After the
registration I only returned to school on the 7th day of that month to start
classes. I was very curious. For me it was a different world, people who I
had never seen until then, all dressed in white gown, each with its folder or
bag on the back, all aligned one behind the other, waiting near the entrance
of the school for the Teacher. When she arrived, as a choir if they were well
trained, the students shouted in one voice ... “Good morning Teacher”.

I remember that the teacher was a lady of middle age, tall, with black hair,
glasses, gown and a bag in hand. First the older students entered, and then
we entered, stayed sometime in the waiting room, and then the teacher
appeared. She began to make the call and gave us a number. After words,
we checked our school articles, which were composed of a book, a
Louzada and a pointer (of stones). The more fortunate had greasy, pencil
and rubber. The early days were very difficult.

It was with this teacher, who was very nice, that I learned to count and
write, but soon after another teacher came. In the next year the coming and
going of teachers continued.
On the third year I had a teacher which was effective. She taught very well,
was captivating and ethical. I had her for the rest of my primary school and
I still remember the good portuguese that she taught us, the equations, and
equivalence problems in mathematics, the Roman numerals, history,
science and geography.
At the end of each year we did a test to pass the year. Saturday was the
civic duty day so we cleaned the gardens of the school.
The school day was from 9 am to 12 am and from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. In
the last year from the month of May the students in the 4th grade classes
had up to 18 pm. I completed my examinations of the 4th class in primary
school on 4 July 1970. The exam consisted of a written and oral test.
My school dates from the beginning of the nineteenth century, but today’s
school in my home town was built during the expansion of school network.
My last primary teacher with the name of Maria Helena Magalhães
Carneiro, was very important in my life. It was with her that I learned that
we must keep studying for the rest of our lives.

What I din’t like at school was having to take cool liver oil!
After having left school I took some training courses. In 1983 I returned to
school in Lisbon, and finished the 6th year. I remember some teachers of
this school, such as the history teacher that was a very old man and that
knew a lot about Greece and its mythology so, from time to time he used to
talk about it; the Portuguese teacher, who taught very well and the Maths
teacher.

I remember that, at school after the ringing of the bell no one could remain
in the corridors. At the School D. Luísa de Gusmão 1984/1985 I concluded
the 1st year of the General Course of Administration and Commerce. In the
year 1989/1990 in the High School of Jaime Cortesão at Coimbra I did 7
subjects of a course, and I just didn’t finish because I din’t do Mathematics.
I have good memories of that school so, when I go there everything seems
familiar; I remember some of my colleagues, and I remember I made a visit
to Minho from which I still have good memories.
During this time I had to struggle with some difficulties: I was working,
and studying and at the same time I had a wife and two children of tender
age.

One of the reasons that led me to leave school were the difficulties I had to
struggle with and my busy schedule. I use to leave home every day at 7.30
o’clock and I was back at 6.30 pm; I had to go pick up my daughter and at
7.20 pm my classes were starting.

Arriving home at midnight or more, I could never be with my daughters

because I only was at home when they were sleeping.
I would like to have studied more, to have reached further, to go further. As
I had family in this city and I needed to give them some support and
stability and because professional life was increasingly demanding, I
stopped studying.

Coimbra 27th March 2009

José António da Costa Silva