Brazil: Massive and Combative National Meeting of Pedagogy Students

Featured image: presentation at the National Meeting of Pedagogy Students (ENEPE). Source: A Nova Democracia (AND).

Hereby we publish a resume of an article published in A Nova Democracia.

Between 17^th and 21^st July the 42^nd National Meeting of Pedagogy Students (ENEPE) was held in Maringá, Paraná, Brazil. The event gathered 800 students who came from several places across the country, and they did it with many difficulties due to the lack of transport from universities. Numerous delegations were present, among them a group of the Newspaper AND which had a lot of success and sold more than 70 books, 200 newspapers, calendars and notebooks.

The meeting started on 17^th of July with a presentation called “In defense of public schools and universities and the scientific curriculum in the schools and in the formation of teachers.” With a great political content, public education of quality was defended against the dismantlement faced due to the reforms applied by the PT government.

On 18^th of July there was a presentation on the political situation, which had as speakers the General Director of AND and the President of the Arabic Palestinian Federation of Brazil (FEPAL), which made a detailed presentation on the Palestinian struggle and the national and international political scenario.

At afternoon there were presentations of scientific and art works, and during the night there was a presentation called “For the Immediate Repeal of the New Medium Teaching! In Defense of the Rights to Teach and Learn”, where teachers and activists for public education participated. Afterwards there were cultural contributions. On the following day there was a presentation in defense of public schools and universities, after that there was a powerful demonstration against the New Medium Teaching and for the Palestinian struggle on the streets of the city. A clear internationalist content was displayed, slogans such as “Palestine resist, Palestine will win” and “Palestinian youth, its struggle continue in Latin America” were chanted.

Here we share videos of the students mobilization:

At night there was a presentation against the privatization of public schools. In this presentation many teachers and representatives from the ENEPE participated. On the 4^th day, on July 20, there was a presentation called “Common National Base for the Education of Teachers and New DCN (National Curriculum Directives) of Pedagogy”. Afterwards the students visited the city, so they got to know the culture and history of Maringá. At night there was a party attended by thousands of students, teachers and workers, with different cultural activities.

The fifth and last day of the Meeting started with discussion panels. The participants discussed on several political, organizational, economical and social topics. These discussions were fundamental to plan the coming actions of the students struggle. The event ended with a final assembly, cultural contributions, among them there were tributes to the Heroic Palestinian Resistance, new plans of struggle, the new leadership of the ENEPE was elected and dates for the upcoming meetings of students was set.