Controversy in Brazil at the request of the Minister of Education of Bolsonaro for schools to register students singing the anthem

RIO DE JANEIRO.- The Minister of Education, Ricardo Vélez Rodríguez, suggested that, with the aim "to encourage the valorization of national symbols" in Brazil On the first day of school, the directors from school across the country film students singing the anthem in front of the flag, read a letter from them with the slogan of the presidential election campaign.

Jair Bolsonaro

and send the records to the ministry without specifying their usefulness.

The unusual demand, addressed to the entire public and private education network, has caused surprise and rejection of educators, parents and lawyers who have questioned the legality of the measure. In addition, they pointed out that this new government objected to what he called "ideological indoctrination" of the left in reference to baduality education and the introduction of the concept of gender identity in schools under previous governments of the Workers Party (PT).

"Brazilians, we will salute Brazil of modern times and celebrate the responsible and quality education that will be developed in our school by the teachers, to the benefit of you, students, who constitute the new generation – God above all else!" , Said the letter of Vélez Rodríguez, which ended with the electoral motto of Bolsonaro; already in power, the word of order adopted by the government is "Patria amada, Brazil", excerpt from the national anthem.

In its note, the ministry invites school principals to read the letter of Vélez Rodríguez, then to record the students by means of their mobile phone while they sing the hymn in front of the flag. And it is specified that the recordings must contain only a few sections, in videos of 25 MB maximum, in order to be sent by e-mail to the Ministry; messages "must contain the name of the school, the number of students, teachers and employees". It is stated that it is a "voluntary compliance request" and that "the activity is part of an incentive policy for the valuation of symbols." national ".

The department states that with all the videos it receives, it will perform a selection of images and that, before any disclosure, the legal authorization of the person filmed or its responsible will be requested , but without explaining how the recordings will be used.

The ministry indicated that with all the videos it received, it would perform a selection of images and that before any disclosure, a legal authorization from the filmed person or his person in charge would be requested. , but without explaining what the recordings would serve.

In a statement, the National Council of Secretaries of Education (Consed), which brings together officials from the region in each state, vehemently rejected the initiative. "The school environment must be safe from any kind of interference in political parties," said the entity, for whom the government should give priority to the political party. education "instead of stimulating ideological conflicts in the field of education".

For his part, the director of the Brazilian Association of Private Schools (Abepar), Arthur Fonseca Filho, said: "It's illegal, the Ministry of Education has no jurisdiction to ask that in schools."

From the non-governmental organization All for Education, they also condemned the government's measure and stressed that it was an unprecedented action in the history of Brazilian democracy. "What this action strengthens is that the Ministry of Education is moving away from what should be its center of action in a very serious Brazilian educational context. This is a deviation from what is essential to be treated, "said the director. educational policies of the institution, Olavo Nogueira Filho.

Telma Vinha, pedagogue and doctor of education, coincided with the government for which he seeks to use the educational network as a machine for political disclosure. "This should be an apartar and it's not just a government that defends a school without a party, it's clearly a party in the school," he complained of the mention of the slogan of Bolsonaro's election campaign.

In his Twitter account, the MP Marcelo Freixo, of the Socialist Party and Freedom (PSOL), left, wrote: "The behavior of the Minister of Education is unacceptable, violating the constitutional principles of the Ministry of Education. impersonality in the government's propaganda, with the slogan of campaigning and morality, in addition to being a grievance against the secular state, the government needs a more democratic and republican culture. "

Before the controversy, in the afternoon, Minister Vélez Rodríguez had decided to withdraw Bolsonaro's campaign slogan from his letter, while partially maintaining the demand to film the students singing the anthem, with the Parental authorization.

"I noticed the mistake, I deleted that sentence and the part corresponding to filming children without permission from their parents." Of course, if something is published, it will be within the limits of law, with parental permission, "explained the official to the press. .