Chamber approves urgency to vote on New High School project

The Chamber of Deputies approved on Wednesday (13), by 351 votes against 102, the urgency of the bill that changes the New Secondary Education instituted during Michel Temer’s government in 2017. As a result, the project can be voted on next week in the House Plenary.

The approval of this urgency promoted a turnaround in the processing of this matter because the government had removed the urgency nature of the project last Monday (11), arguing that the measure needed more time to be debated. The expectation was that the theme would continue until 2024.

Sent by the federal government in October this year, the article is being reported by Temer’s former Minister of Education, deputy Mendonça Filho (União-PE). The government’s decision to change secondary education rules came after pressure from entities, students, teachers and experts to revoke the changes to the curriculum approved during the Temer government.

In the urgency vote on Wednesday night, the government leadership voted in favor, while the PT/PCdoB/PV and PSOL/Rede blocs voted against the urgency. Even so, five PT parliamentarians voted in favor of accelerating the processing of the PL reported by deputy Mendonça. The other parties and party blocs voted in favor of urgency.

Representative Idilvan Alencar (PDT-CE) criticized the amended text in the Chamber, arguing that it disfigured the project sent by the Executive to modify the New Secondary Education.

“The report that they want to vote on shortly, in a hurry, reduces the workload of the Common National Base and brings the notorious knowledge as very strong. Notorious knowledge is disrespect for the teacher. Not just anyone can go to the classroom, no. You need to have training. It also removes the mandatory nature of Spanish — an agenda that I do not accept —, as well as sociology, physical education, philosophy, art”, he lamented.

The original project sent by the Executive resumed the workload of 2,400 hours of basic general training out of the total 3,000 hours. The New Secondary Education set this basic training at 1,800 hours. Mendonça’s replacement set it at 2.1 thousand hours, with 300 hours of classes that relate the contents of the National Common Curricular Base with professional technical training.

Furthermore, the Executive’s project removed the provision of allowing the hiring of professionals without a degree, as long as they are recognized as having notable knowledge about the discipline. Mendonça’s replacement reintroduced the possibility of hiring professionals with notable knowledge in the area of ​​professional and technical training.

Rapporteur Mendonça Filho, during the vote, thanked the support of the president of the Chamber, deputy Arthur Lira (PP-AL), and the group of leaders of the House, for accepting to vote on the urgency of the PL.

“We need a decision to signal to students, to state networks, to state education secretaries, who account for 84% of the vacancies in Brazilian public secondary education, to these people who want to have access to the job market, wants to improve income. And that is why I ask everyone here who is committed to the future of education that we can abandon the old secondary education”, he highlighted.

Repercussion

Mendonça’s replacement has been criticized by members of the National Campaign for the Right to Education who consider that the text repeats the norms of the Temer government’s project. The organization brings together unions, social, student and community movements.

Professor Daniel Cara, from the Faculty of Education at the University of São Paulo (USP), regretted the approval of the urgency and argued that the text increases inequalities between public and private education in Brazil.

“Mendonça practically reissued Temer’s Provisional Measure, making a false determination of 2,100 hours. In practice, there are 2,100 hours of basic general training, but 300 hours can be completed within the training itineraries. In other words, the 1,800 hours of basic training return”, he highlighted.

Regarding the reintroduction of the notorious knowledge as sufficient for hiring teachers, Daniel says that the measure places people who were not prepared to be teachers.

“The objective is to reduce the pressure that public schools face today to hire teachers via competition. This is the economic interest behind the reform. It is mischaracterizing the teaching profession so that anyone can be a teacher”, he highlighted.

On the other hand, Todos Pela Educação assessed that Mendonça’s replacement brings advances in relation to the federal government’s text, despite considering that it needs improvements. The Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) informs that it is financed only by private resources.

The NGO agreed to increase hours for professional and technical education. “It is a correct movement in the sense of not weakening the search for greater integration of Professional and Technological Education (EPT) with regular High School, one of the pillars of the essence of the reform”, he highlighted.

The organization is also in favor of the possibility of hiring professionals without their own teacher training, arguing that the Executive’s original proposal “would make it extremely difficult to expand professional and technological education”.

The report sought out the government leadership in the Chamber and the Ministry of Education for comment on the matter, but did not receive a response until the closing of this report.

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