PT government officially ends civic-military schools

The Lula government published this Friday (21) the decree revoking the National Program for Civic-Military Schools (Pecim). Created by the Ministry of Education (MEC) during the administration of former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL), the model was implemented in 216 schools in socially vulnerable situations in the five regions of the country, and there was a waiting list for membership.

The decision to close Pecim was announced last week, when the Ministry of Education sent a letter to the state secretaries. In the communiqué, the MEC informed that it would end the program, but that there would be a transition of activities so as not to compromise the daily life of schools or close their doors.

Now, according to an official decree, the transition plan will be established by the Ministry of Education within 30 days and discussed with states and municipalities to define strategies for reintegrating these educational units into the regular education network.

The measure, however, should not affect most units, since governors of 19 states said they will continue the model with state resources. The governor of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans), for example, announced the creation of a program of civic-military schools for the people of São Paulo.

Like him, governments of states such as the Federal District, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Rondônia, Roraima, Acre, Amazonas, Pará, Tocantins, Sergipe, Maranhão, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul also committed to maintaining the format.

The states of Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Piauí, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas and Bahia did not join the federal government program, but gave autonomy to the municipalities to decide. See how the situation is in each state.

The maintenance of the program in most Brazilian states is due to the results of the model. Research carried out by the Ministry of Education (MEC) in 2022 found a reduction in evasion and school dropout by almost 80% in these schools, a decrease in physical violence by 82%, verbal violence by 75% and property depredation by 82%.

Changes in the school environment

In addition, parents, teachers and students report a significant improvement in the school environment and student learning, and ask for the continuation of the model. “Teachers, pedagogues and the military committed themselves to the proposal and the results came with an increase in school attendance, growth in Ideb and a much better environment”, reports director Douglas Grzebieluka, from Colégio Cívico-Militar Professor Colares, in Ponta Grossa.

According to him, the model of the Ministry of Education (MEC) was implemented in the institution in September 2020 with goals related to school performance, improvement in the school environment and appreciation of professionals and students.

To this end, retired military personnel from the Armed Forces, Military Police and Fire Department are allocated to schools like this one and work to promote discipline, civility and other extracurricular activities, while school management and teaching remain in the hands of civilians.