Minister denies interference and says that Enem questions about agriculture were asked in 2021

The Minister of Education, Camilo Santana, stated this Wednesday (22) that there is no interference from the MEC and the federal government in the National High School Exam (Enem) tests. The minister provided clarification at a joint hearing in the Chamber. One of the questions in the first phase of the exam associated agribusiness with violence in the countryside and the advance of deforestation.

In response to the deputies, he said that the questions were prepared by teachers hired by the government of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL), in 2021. “I want to say that there is not the slightest possibility of interference by the Ministry of Education or this government in the tests of Enem. In fact, regarding these issues, the commission that prepared this test was selected in 2020, and the items were created in 2021. Therefore, during the previous government. It was [o governo Bolsonaro] who prepared these questions”, said Santana.

After the proof was released, the Agricultural Parliamentary Front (FPA) asked for the issue to be annulled as it presented an “ideological nature and lacked scientific or academic criteria”. “ENEM is a knowledge assessment exam. The questions are poorly formulated, solely ideological and allow the student to mark any answer, depending on their point of view”, said the agricultural bench in a note at the beginning of the month.

The minister was heard by the Education committees; Agriculture, Livestock, Supply and Rural Development; and Financial Inspection and Control. Questioned by Deputy Delegate Paulo Bilynskyj (PL-SP) about the depreciation of the agricultural sector, Santana tried to remove the ideological alignment, reported the Chamber Agency.

“This government has valued and supported Brazilian agribusiness. We are dealing here with a question of interpretation. This does not mean that it is a position taken by the government or the Ministry of Education”, said the minister. Federal deputy Luciano Zucco (Republicanos-RS) pointed out that the Lula government does not support the sector. The minister countered by saying that “the government that most supported agribusiness throughout history was exactly that of President Lula.”