Maringá, BRAZIL – Students here began protesting on Monday against a new law that would privatize state public schools.
The law, called the “Parceiro da Escola,” or School Partner Program, allows Brazil’s State Department of Education to hire private institutions to manage public schools in Paraná state.
According to Gabriel Ramos, president of the Student Union at the State University of Maringá, striking is a strategic key to show disapproval.
“We must have a protesting and popular organization. Students have to occupy their buildings to reject, in the ground, the privatization of their schools,” said Ramos.
According to Ramos, there were at least 10 protests on Monday in Maringá.
In the city of Curitiba, students and teachers invaded the Legislative Assembly of the Paraná State to interrupt the discussion of the law.
But according to the Brazilian newspaper G1, yesterday it was retaken remotely and the deputies approved it, 39-13.
“This proposal is one of the biggest attacks on public education in our state. Even with 20,000 people protesting against it, it was approved,” said Ramos.
According to the law, the program could be applied in all state institutions of basic education, with just some exceptions, such as islands and Indigenous communities.
“This is what the government needs to keep applying its reactionary project of ending scientific content and the autonomy of students and teachers,” said Ramos. “If we don’t rally against it, soon they’ll be charging fees to access public education.”
Nicole Luna is a Correspondent with Youth Journalism International.
