Commission approves public hearing to discuss civic-military schools

The federal deputies of the Chamber’s Education Commission approved, this Wednesday morning (30), a request for the holding of public hearings on the closure of the national policy on civic-military schools and its continuation by state governments.

The request authored by Deputy Gustavo Gayer (PL-GO) intends to clarify the circumstances of the implementation of the model in the past government at the federal level and the closure by the team of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), in mid-July.

The decision taken at the time was not unanimous, and some states decided to continue with the schools, such as Paraná, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Goiás, among others.

In the justification for the public hearing, Gayer states that the closure of the civic-military school policy took parents of students by surprise and contested the allegation that it deviated from the purpose of the Armed Forces and committed resources that could be allocated to other priority areas of the government.

“The National Program of Civic-Military Schools was created in September 2019 in a partnership with the Ministry of Defense. By the end of 2022, there were 215 civic-military units registered with the MEC [Ministério da Educação]almost double the 120 existing until 2018. The federal government did not build new schools, but implemented in existing schools, in partnership with the States, the civic-military model”, he said, noting that the Union transferred R$ 64 million to the units for investments in maintenance and implementation.

Gayer also stated that his state, Goiás, had a notable positive impact on this teaching model, with a considerable reduction in the presence of drug dealers, problems with gangs and bullying. “An environment of order and respect for the law and institutions and teachers became generalized, and families approached the school, making collaboration between parents and teachers possible in the educational task,” she added.

“The surprise was such when the federal government decided to end the program that several Brazilian states decided to assume the commitment to continue with the work started, in view of the numerous advantages that were identified in this educational model”, he highlighted in the application.

Given this scenario, says Gayer, there is a need for a broader and more inclusive debate about the program. Representatives and coordinators of civic-military schools can provide important perspectives on the results and impacts of the program, allowing a more complete understanding of its functioning and the effects achieved.

The deputy intends to invite, among other people, former Minister Ricardo Velez Rodrigues, of Education; the coordinator of civic-military schools in Goiás, Mauro Ferreira Vilela; Lieutenant Colonel Márcia Amarilis, former undersecretary of civil-military schools at the MEC; and Ricardo da Silva Rodrigues, former adviser to the folder.

There is still no confirmed date for the holding of the hearing.