Ruralists criticize Enem 2023 for issues – 11/06/2023 – Education

At least two questions on the first day of Enem 2023, applied this Sunday (5), bothered ruralist leaders. According to parliamentarians, items about the Amazon and the Cerrado would be ideological and would create a negative and distorted image of agribusiness.

The Parliamentary Agricultural Front published a note this Monday (6) asking for the issues to be annulled. The text says that the questions would not have scientific criteria.

“The linking of crimes to legal activities in Brazil is a criterion of political rhetoric to cover up the State’s absence in developing efficient public policies and combating illegalities”, says the note.

The ruralist bench brings together 324 deputies and 50 senators.

When questioned, the Ministry of Education and Inep (Institute of Educational Studies and Research), which organizes the exam, did not respond until the publication of this text.

The items are 89 and 70, from the white test. The Agricultural Front requests the annulment of the questions, clarifications from the Lula (PT) government and indicates that it will forward requests to summon the Minister of Education, Camilo Santana.

The Rural Union of Ribeirão Preto also took a position, through a letter addressed to the exam organizers. In the text, he states that there is an attempt to “demonize Brazilian agribusiness”. The text was released by Fabio Wajngarten, former advisor to former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

Both questions contain excerpts adapted from scientific articles. They ask the participant to interpret what the authors wanted to convey.

In the question about the cerrado, the text of the statement says that the logic of agribusiness has taken precedence over the knowledge of peasants. He cites terms like “poison rains”.

In the item dealing with the Amazon, the excerpt indicates that deforestation in the region has to do with the expansion of soybeans, but also with the actions of “land grabbers, loggers and ranchers”.

The articles used to prepare the questions are easily found on the internet. They were written by professors and researchers linked to USP (University of São Paulo), UEG (State University of Goiás) and UFG (Federal University of Goiás), and published in scientific publications.

This is not the first time that Enem has been the target of attacks from political groups because of test issues. Bolsonaro and right-wing allies have already accused the test of left-wing indoctrination.

In his government, in turn, not a single question about military dictatorship was answered in the four tests carried out during the period.

Enem questions are produced by university professors, based on notices prepared by the government. They still go through a long elaboration process.

The items are pre-tested (several people answer the question) so that various attributes can be calibrated, such as degree of difficulty and chance of getting the shot right. This is part of the mathematical model adopted in Enem, the TRI (Item Response Theory).