Strike at USP: Faculty of Law condemns strikers – 10/05/2023 – Education

The board of directors of the Faculty of Law at USP (University of São Paulo) issued a statement criticizing the striking students and insisting on an immediate return to classes. “If the students – or part of the students – intend to go on strike, continue doing so. But let them know the consequences of their actions”, says the text.

The managers, led by Celso Fernandes Campilongo, director of the college, continue to declare that they have exhausted their negotiating capacity and report seeing an escalation of radical agendas, threats, hostilities and attacks on teachers, students and staff.

“Members of the academic community who have suffered or will suffer any violence […] will have the full support of the board to take the appropriate measures”, highlights the statement.

Classes canceled due to the strike, the college states, will not be replaced. There will, therefore, be a loss of the semester for those who refused to return to activities. “This could probably cause harm to everyone and, more immediately, to those who should graduate at the end of the year.”

Rectory makes proposal to end the strike

The rectory of USP (University of São Paulo) presented this Wednesday (4) to students a proposal to end the strike in force at the institution for more than three weeks.

According to the plan, 148 temporary teachers would be hired within 45 days to make up for the shortage of teachers in teaching units — the strikers’ main complaint is precisely the lack of professionals to teach.

The positions would be distributed to the faculties most in need. The plan is for these 148 new vacancies to be effective, but as hiring in this model takes time, temporary teachers will initially be hired for these positions, so that the 45-day deadline can be met.

Afterwards, new competitions will be opened to hire permanent teachers for these vacancies.

In addition to these 148 new professors, the rectory announced at the beginning of 2022 a plan to hire 879 permanent professors. Of this total, 238 vacancies have already been filled and 641 still need selection — which should take place by July 2024, according to a promise from rector Carlos Gilberto Carlotti Junior to students under negotiation this Wednesday (4).

With the new number, the management’s promise is now to hire a total of 1,027 permanent teachers by the middle of next year.

The result of the meeting pleased the strikers. There is an indication of voting to end the boycott of classes by teachers. They meet in assembly this Thursday (5).

The students have a new assembly scheduled only for Monday (9). In it, the end of the strike must be voted. Some students, however, say they are in favor of maintaining the strike.

Read the full text from the Faculty of Law:

“The faculty has exhausted its possibilities of negotiating with the ‘strikers’. The negotiating agenda is now restricted, even due to the prevalent nature of the topics, to conversations between the paralyzed students with the Rector.

The escalation of radical agendas, purposely detached from reality and, therefore, unattainable, shows interests that are unclear and distant from truly academic concerns.

If the students – or part of the students – intend to go on ‘strike’, continue doing so. But let them know the consequences of their actions.

The losses for USP and the Faculty of Law are clear and serious. Image damage, emptying of internal social programs, installation of a climate of discord and heightened tempers between teachers and students, compromise of school programs, among other losses. The biggest victims of this process are the students themselves. The biggest beneficiaries are the radical groups who, at the opposite extreme, delight in the situation. The Faculty of Law does not deserve to be vilified like this.

Threats, hostilities and attacks on teachers, students and staff are intolerable and will not be admired. Members of the academic community who have suffered or suffer any violence or embarrassment will have the full support of the board to take the appropriate measures.

Teachers and staff who dedicated their lives to the School reaffirmed, throughout the strike period, their dedication and love for the college. Attempts to disrupt this climate of dialogue and civility cause deep sadness and disappointment.

The ‘strike’ is not about the teachers. Classes will not be made up. There will be a loss of the semester for those who do not return to activities. This could probably cause harm to everyone and, more immediately, to those who should graduate at the end of the year.

Classes will continue virtually (online), for teachers who wish to do so.

In a final appeal to rationality, vacate the college, end the strike and return to classes. Reflect seriously on the proposals of the Rectory, which demonstrated sensitivity and realism in the face of the requests presented.

On the day of the 35th anniversary of the 1988 Constitution, we do not bow down to radicalism, intransigence and illegality, no matter how tolerant we may be.”