The Wrecking of Education in Brazil

Written by: Luísa Richter

From: Recife, Brazil

Edited by: Luana Mayer

For ages, public education and research institutions around Brazil have been occupying leading spaces in scientific studies around the world. Due to the pandemic, this was even more prominent. These institutes have been working hard on the analytics needed to understand and resolve a global health crisis. Several advances have been made, such as new equipment for health professionals, infection tests, and even vaccines.

However, despite the tireless efforts of professionals from universities and public institutes and the importance of these spaces of knowledge, the very high budgets that the government has been making reveal the wrecking and neglect of education and the life of the Brazilian people.

The Ministry of Education has been carrying out frightening and disastrous management with anti-democratic projects and initiatives that deepen the commodification of education. The current government adopts authoritarian postures by interfering with the autonomy of the institutes and universities by revealing nothing but disregard for the thousands of students and professionals who depend on these research spaces. 

At the same time, there are massive cuts for universities, hospitals, federal institutes, and for research development agencies. As an example, universities such as the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, the Federal University of Pernambuco, and the University of Goiás have had significant cuts in their budgets, threatening to close.

Making the right of access to education viable is a duty of the State. History for many years has shown that knowledge is one of the pillars of any society, and making it accessible is one of the fundamental elements for strengthening democracy. As long as the government does not understand the importance of education for a State, studying will be a cry of resistance.