Ana Paula Arnaut, a full professor at the University of Coimbra and an expert on José Saramago, says she is “shocked” by the proposed revision of the Essential Learnings, which removes the Portuguese Nobel laureate from the list of mandatory writers for the 12th grade. The Association of Portuguese Teachers supports the “master of irony” Mário de Carvalho as a potential replacement, but does not rule out backing down if the public consultation with authors dictates otherwise.