Tarcísio vetoes new support for teacher victim of violence – 04/11/2024 – Education

Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans) vetoed a program that created a series of psychological and financial support actions for teachers and employees who were victims of school violence. The bill had been unanimously approved at the end of February in Alesp (Legislative Assembly of São Paulo).

The Protection and Support Program for Education Professionals Victims of Violence aims to ensure the rights of employees, such as temporary absence from school activities, continued psychological care, provision of medication and the guarantee of irreducibility of salaries in the event of medical leave.

Authored by deputy Carlos Giannazi (PSOL), the program provided support for all education professionals, regardless of how they were hired. In other words, it would be valid for permanent and temporary teachers and also for outsourced employees.

The governor justified the veto by arguing that the state already has programs with the same purpose, Conviva and Psychologists at School.

“I note, initially, that the same order of concerns has guided the policy adopted by the state government in relation to the sensitive issue at hand […] I quote, the Conviva program, implemented by the Department of Education, to transform all schools into a supportive, collaborative, welcoming and safe learning environment”, says the document signed by Tarcísio and sent to Alesp.

Despite the governor’s justification, neither of the two existing programs provides financial support or guarantees dismissal without harm to teachers who are victims of violence.

A Sheet showed that, one year after the attack on the Thomazia Montoro school, two injured teachers were left without a job and did not receive psychological care or support to buy medication for the disorders they developed after the episode of violence.

Ana Célia da Rosa, 59, was stabbed 17 times inside the classroom. She did not receive compensation for the violence she suffered and was left without a job at the beginning of this year, because she is hired on a temporary basis.

Also a victim of the attack, Rita Reis, 68, was unable to return to the classroom due to psychological problems she developed after the attack. Still, she was unable to retire or change positions.

“This veto shows the contempt for the teachers stabbed in schools who got sick, had
spending on doctors, psychologists, medicines and they even lost their jobs”, said Giannazi.

The deputy says he will mobilize deputies to overturn the governor’s veto.

The program, vetoed by Tarcísio, guaranteed teachers the right to withdraw from school activities while they were undergoing treatment for the emotional or physical damage caused by violence. It also ensured that they could request a transfer of position.

If the project already existed, Ana Célia and Rita could receive this support and would not be without a job.

Another justification used by Tarcísio to veto the program is that the proposal “seeks to discipline issues relating to public servants”, which would not be the responsibility of the legislative branch.

“The proposal contains provisions, which establish specific commands intended for public administration, determining to the public administrator what to do and how to do it, ending up interfering in the exclusive domain of the executive power”, says the document.