Lula announces R$3 billion to prevent attacks on schools – 04/18/2023 – Education

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) led this Tuesday (18) meeting at the Planalto Palace with ministers of state, ministers of the STF (Federal Supreme Court), parliamentarians, governors and secretaries of Education to announce a package of actions integrated to prevent violence in schools.

There will be federal support of a total of R$ 3 billion to be transferred to states and municipalities. There is no forecast, however, of new resources: most of them are postponements of planned payments.

The government will advance transfers of R$ 1.097 billion under the PDDE (Money Right at School Program). The second installment would be paid in September, but the money will already fall into the schools’ accounts this month.

Also within the program there will be the release of R$ 1.8 billion related to previous years and which are still in the accounts of the schools for other actions. Another R$ 200 million will be directed to actions such as the creation of psychosocial, municipal, regional or state centers.

The actions were announced by the Minister of Education, Camilo Santana (PT). “This is a reflection of a situation we are experiencing in our society, which has stimulated a culture of violence, hatred and intolerance”, said the minister, who stressed that the situation was aggravated by the issue of digital platforms.

Over the past few days, Santana has held meetings with representatives of Education secretaries and other ministers, such as Justice and Public Security, Human Rights and Sports.

The meetings were the result of the creation of an interministerial group to deal with the issue at the federal level.

Earlier this month, a man entered a private school in Blumenau (SC) and killed four children. The case occurred nine days after the attack on the Thomazia Montoro state school, in São Paulo, when a 13-year-old student stabbed a teacher to death and injured five other people, including three teachers.

Supposed threats of attacks have changed the routine of schools across the country. Despite most messages being false, parents, students and teachers report fear; specialists recommend reporting cases to the authorities.

The president of the STF, Rosa Weber, and Alexandre de Moraes, who is still president of the TSE (Superior Electoral Court), participated.

The Minister of the Civil House, Rui Costa, began the event by stating that the attacks on schools have the same motivation as the January 8 attacks against the buildings of the Three Powers, in Brasília.

“It is basically the same motivation, motivation of hate, prejudice, racism, preached for many years, which was reflected in the act on the 8th and unfortunately now manifests itself in the attack on our children and our adolescents”, he said. .

The federal government promises to set up a group with ministers, governors and heads of other Powers of the Republic to discuss security measures in schools. According to Rui Costa, the objective is to create a kind of “Council of the Republic” to discuss guidelines on the subject.

With regard to investments, the government had already announced a public notice of R$ 150 million to reinforce school rounds. But there were also training announcements.

The MEC (Ministry of Education) will now make available a booklet of recommendations for protection and safety in the school environment. Starting next Monday (24), there will be training in the ministry’s virtual environment for managers and teachers to implement these recommendations.

The so-called National Awareness and Guidance Campaign for Protection of the School Environment was also announced.