Unifesp students go on strike to denounce structure – 11/23/2023 – Education

Students from Unifesp (Federal University of São Paulo) decided this Thursday (23) to boycott classes to pressure the rectory to resolve structural problems on the Diadema campus, in Greater São Paulo. Unit activities have been frequently canceled due to lack of water and energy.

The strike should last until the end of next week, when the assembly should decide to start a strike.

Created in 2006, the Diadema campus only had its academic-administrative building opened last year — before, activities took place in properties rented by the city hall. Students and teachers, however, claim that the building was opened with a series of structural problems that have hampered teaching activities.

When asked about the complaints, Unifesp stated that the building has no structural problems, but that its completion was delayed by budget restrictions that meant that some services had to be removed.

“With the recent obtaining of the necessary budget to resolve the building’s issues, institutional procedures are underway so that the issue can be resolved as quickly as possible in accordance with the deadlines and principles of Public Administration”, states the university.

“It appears that they delivered the building with the work unfinished or poorly done. The lack of light is constant, not because of a distribution problem, but because the electrical part was completely improvised. The windows in the classrooms are stuck or are at risk of falling, Therefore, they are closed all the time, even on extremely hot days”, reports student Caetano de Andrade, 23.

He started the environmental sciences course this year and claims that several activities were canceled due to structural problems. Just last week, for example, he didn’t have classes for two days in a row due to a power outage in the building.

Unifesp states that the power outage occurred due to the burning of equipment “probably caused by fluctuations in the external network, which is very common in the region”. “As soon as we identified the lack of energy, the company responsible for maintaining the cabin was called and measures were taken together with the university’s technical team so that the problem could be resolved as quickly as possible”, says the institution, adding that the energy it was reinstated the following night.

“Regarding the lack of water, the equipment that pumps water to the water tank was replaced, which was defective,” says the university.

Problems have also interrupted food service at the university restaurant. Without electricity, the company hired to provide the meals is unable to prepare the food.

“We never know when we will be able to have lunch or dinner, because they are often unable to deliver the meals. The lack of energy also causes a serious problem with food storage, there is no hygiene at all. It is very common to find larvae and insects in the food” , says the student.

Images and videos of living beings between meals circulate in university groups every week.

“Students got food poisoning from the food,” says Patrick Lira, from the campus Academic League.

Regarding this, the university says that the company was penalized and a bidding process was opened to hire a new restaurant and canteen supplier.

Security issues also concern students. The buildings are located in an area of ​​difficult access, far from any public road. Lighting is poor, and many robberies occur, say those enrolled. The institution says it provides four buses for daily circulation and field trips.

Last Thursday (16), a meeting was held between students, teachers and the Unifesp rectory. It ended in exchanges of barbs. The management considered the complaints from the student body exaggerated, and they were outraged. After the meeting ended, protest posters began to be installed in campus passageways, and wheelchairs were promoted.

The Diadema campus houses seven undergraduate courses: environmental sciences, biological sciences, chemical engineering, biochemical pharmacy, degree in science, chemistry and industrial chemistry. Around 2,500 students are enrolled in these courses.