Right-wing is harassed at event on the direction of education

The idea that the National Education Conference (Conae) 2024, which takes place from January 28th to 30th in Brasília, is a space for dialogue was reinforced several times during the event. But the hostility directed at conservative delegates shows that plurality is only in theory.

Conae is where the guidelines for the next National Education Plan (PNE) are discussed, a document that will define the direction of Brazilian education for the entire decade 2024-2034. Just as had already happened at Conae’s regional and municipal meetings, delegates whose ideas deviated from the majority ideological bias of the conference participants heard, at the national stage, boos and slogans that aimed to censor them.

The conference is organized by the National Education Forum (FNE), reestablished by the Ministry of Education (MEC) by decree in the first year of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s (PT) government. In addition to the base document for the discussions supporting leftist flags – such as gender ideology in schools and even union agendas such as the minimum wage for teachers -, the regulations themselves made dialogue with those who thought differently difficult.

“I realize that freedom of expression and expression of thought are not being as real as this Conae proclaims”, says Cesia Moiano, delegate from Rio Grande do Sul. “Every time I expressed my opinion, whether it be a little or very different to the that the majority promotes, I was booed, harassed and branded”, he adds. She says that even at the state stage, she was prevented from completing her own exhibition and forced to leave the stage before the speaking time was even over.

A delegate from Goiás who prefers not to identify herself reports a similar experience. “During the intercity stage itself, sometimes they wouldn’t let me finish speaking, as they would start to boo or take away my concentration while I was speaking,” she says.

During the national stage, in Brasília, the trend was repeated. While a delegate asked for more family representation at the conference, there were boos and shouts of disapproval. The request is supported by the Federal Constitution, which, in its article 205, states that education is a duty of the State and the family.

National stage reiterates partisanship and lack of dialogue

Partisanship was also evident in collective demonstrations of support for the current federal government. At one point during the opening of the national stage, the participants shouted in unison: “Olê, olê, olê, olá! Lula, Lula!”.

Representative Gustavo Gayer (PL-GO) published a video on his Instagram account denouncing other evidence of the ideological bias of the event, recorded during the national stage of Conae. There was, among other things, a booklet titled “Why discuss gender at school?” It is bottoms in support of Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist group. In another part of the video, a young man who claims to be a representative of the LGBTQIA+ movement states that “we are really forming activists. We need to keep activism alive in the classroom.”

“We just wanted to show people what they didn’t have the opportunity to see,” said Gayer’s advisor Amanda Caixeta. Motivated by a colleague, she went to Conae to record what was being discussed. Caixeta says that she spoke with people from the NGO Ação Educativa. One of the NGO’s projects is “Education and Gender” which works on teacher training to raise awareness about gender ideology and, from there, reach students. “Even seeing it, it’s hard to believe,” she reiterated.

Rules make debate difficult

On the first day of the national stage, the conference took an almost unanimous stance in rejecting changes suggested to the text of the rules by delegates who differed from the majority ideological bias. The document defined by the FNE at the beginning of the month was maintained without changes by the delegates present there. It was the FNE itself that defined the allocation of places for event participants. “Diversity affirmative movements” received more chairs (135) than the scientific community (52).

One of the points of the rules that remained was that the motions (official document that suggests changes) “cannot oppose the deliberations of Conae 2024”. A highlight presented by Moiano called for the excerpt to be removed to guarantee freedom of expression and expression of thought. Delegate Adriana Marra, who also presented a similar highlight, argued that “the section depends on what is provided for in the document”. “This completely makes the contradiction impossible, as the document has already been written. If the motions need to be limited to the text, where is the opportunity for debate that the rules itself mentions?”, he asked.

“The process was democratic in all instances. What was contradictory was voted on and forwarded for observations. We are here today to seal what is contradictory”, stated Lúcia Rincon, representative of the Brazilian Union of Women, in a speech defending the original version of the text. “Because we are guaranteeing dialogue, contradiction, democratic freedoms of expression”, she added.

Then, Rincon added: “If we removed the drafted text, we would end Conae. As they were unable to do so through the National Congress, now there are new subterfuges”. Rincon’s comment refers to a note presented by 10 parliamentary fronts in the Chamber of Deputies on January 23. The deputies asked the MEC that the current PNE be extended and that Conae be held in the second semester, alleging a lack of transparency, equality and representation during the conference.

PNE text will be considered in the National Congress

After the opening of the national stage, the minister of education, Camilo Santana, spoke to the press. When asked about the lack of transparency raised by parliamentarians, Santana stated that the person responsible for organizing the event is the FNE. He added that the MEC is providing all the necessary support to the FNE, especially in the area of ​​resources.

The minister himself highlighted that Conae’s discussions will be the basis of the PNE text that will be sent to the National Congress. “There is already a working group at the ministry with several entities and experts working on creating the plan. But the base document that will be used by the ministry to prepare the bill will be the one approved here at this conference”, he told the press.

With the current PNE expected to expire in June, Santana declared that within 30 days the MEC must present the bill with the text of the new PNE. Santana says that he held a meeting with the joint Congress committee to align the deadlines. According to him, it was established that before parliamentarians’ mid-year recess, the PNE will already be approved.