Bolsonaro Calls Minister of Education to Prepare Return to School

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – President Jair Bolsonaro said he has called on Minister of Education Milton Ribeiro to prepare for the return to school, interrupted because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Bolsonaro reiterated that Brazil is the country where schools have remained closed longest.

“Today I have even sent a message to the Minister of Education, Milton, to prepare himself, to start directing, since the decision is not ours, this direction to return to classes in Brazil is of the governors and mayors. It’s unacceptable, we lost the school year,” he said during his weekly Facebook live stream.

Earlier, the Minister of Education said that the portfolio will distribute R$525 million (US$105 million) to schools to prepare the return to classes. Ribeiro said the amount should benefit 116,750 public schools and 36.85 million students.

According to him, the plan is for the funds to be used to purchase hygiene products, disinfecting services, and renovating teaching facilities. The portfolio also promises to launch a biosafety protocol, as has already been prepared for higher education.

Labor Unions

Bolsonaro also criticized teachers’ unions and said that virtually all of them are composed of people from the “radical left”. “For them, it’s very good to stay home. For two reasons: first, those in the union do not work, they stay home; and second, the others cooperate so that kids don’t learn any more.”

Source: Estadão Conteúdo

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