Minister of Education highlights lack of transparency on FNE

Asked about the lack of transparency at the National Education Conference (Conae), the Minister of Education, Camilo Santana, stated that the event was organized by the National Education Forum (FNE). The statement was given on Sunday night (28), the first day of the conference in Brasília, which until next Tuesday (30) discusses the National Education Plan (PNE).

The plan must provide guidelines for public educational policies until 2034. The document that was used to discuss the actions is full of ideologies, such as promoting gender ideology in schools. Delegates and parliamentarians also complain about a lack of transparency, disclosure and structure that prevents opposition to the ideas presented.

“The person organizing the event, by decree itself, is the National Education Forum, which we reestablished by decree last year. He is responsible for the document that was discussed at the conferences. What the MEC does is support, give all the financial support”, Santana told the press.

The FNE is made up of social entities such as the Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT), the Brazilian Union of Women (UBM) and the Brazilian Association of Lesbians, Gays and Transsexuals (ABLGT).

Last Tuesday, 10 parliamentary fronts presented a letter to the MEC requesting an extension of the current PNE and the postponement of Conae. The department did not respond to parliamentarians’ request. The MEC team would have gathered deputies from the government base to ask for support during the event.

Deputy Adriana Ventura (Novo-SP) sent a letter to the MEC requesting that the discussions be broadcast and recorded, due to the importance of the topic. So far, there have been no responses from Camilo Santana’s team. The press will only be able to attend the opening and closing ceremonies. Parliamentary advisors also tried to participate in the debates, but did not receive any response from the organization of the event until Sunday night.

Delegates report problems in the organization and structure of the event

As shown by People’s Gazette, Conae had several structural problems. In October, the MEC and the presidency released the base document to guide discussions at the event. The text has several ideological issues, making clear opposition to “ultra-conservative policies”, such as homeschooling and opposition to agribusiness in the classroom.

On the 16th, the document was updated with what was discussed at the municipal and state stages. Delegates had 12 days to analyze the 282 pages – 100 more than the initial document – ​​which deal with several complex topics related to education.

In addition to ideological issues, delegates and observers complained about several structural problems that hinder dialogue. The National Education Forum (FNE) also released the new regulations on January 16th. The document had important changes, such as the deadline for presenting highlights. Some delegates told the People’s Gazette who did not receive any official notification informing them of the changes.

It is the FNE that takes care of all the planning and execution of the event. Among the guidelines, the published motions will be previously evaluated by a committee that must analyze whether or not the text should be considered in plenary. Another point is that the FNE allocated more vacancies to “diversity affirmation movements” than to the scientific community itself.

At the end of the event, the MEC must receive a final document with the main points discussed over the three days of the conference. Which you must use to prepare the bill with the new PNE. After presenting, the text will be assessed by the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate.