The rapporteur of the Proposed Amendment to the Constitution (PEC) of the Cost Cut Package reduced the mandatory amount of Fundeb – the Basic Education Financing Fund – that must be applied to full-time education. The rapporteur of PEC 31/2007, deputy Moses Rodrigues (União-CE), reduced the amount to 10% in 2025, reaching 4% from 2026.
In the original proposal sent by the Executive, it was predicted that 20% of what the Union transfers to the states, Federal District (DF) and municipalities to Fundeb should be invested in full-time education. Currently, the resource can be applied to other educational policies.
Entities linked to education warn that the change allows the Ministry of Education (MEC) to reduce spending on comprehensive education, transferring the expense to Fundeb, according to an assessment by the National Association for Research in Education Financing (Fineduca).
The rapporteur argued that the change balanced fiscal adjustment with support for comprehensive education. “In this text about Fundeb, there is the necessary fiscal balance and also the guarantee of the expansion of full-time education”, justified Moses.
Parliamentarians critical of the proposal claimed that the allocation of Fundeb resources for comprehensive education, in addition to allowing the MEC to reduce its direct spending on this policy, helping to cut costs, could remove resources from other policies financed by the basic education fund.
Federal deputy Pompeo de Mattos (PDT-RS) stated that there is no point in allocating Fundeb resources to comprehensive education if the amount will be taken from conventional schools.
“There is no point in dressing one saint by undressing another. The proposal foresees that, from 2026, 4% of the Fundeb share of states and municipalities will go to full-time school. It’s something important, which I celebrate, commemorate and applaud, but I reaffirm that there’s no point in simply taking someone out of conventional school and putting them into full time”, he pondered.
The measure, on the other hand, was defended by deputy Tabata Amaral (PSB-SP). “It was said here that Fundeb is decreasing. That’s a lie. Fundeb will continue to increase. What we are bringing is, in partnership with entities and the MEC, the strengthening of the full-time education policy”, he considered.
School meals
The PEC also provides that Fundeb resources can be used for school meals. The measure was defended by deputy Rafael Brito (MDB-AL).
“We are tired of seeing articles all over Brazil, in several municipalities, in all states, of children, for example, sharing an egg during school lunch because the transfer of the PNAE [Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar] it is insufficient”, said Brito.
PEC of spending cuts
The proposed amendment to the Constitution must be voted on this Thursday (19) in the Chamber of Deputies, and must go to the Senate, if approved. The PEC is part of the spending cut package announced by the government to limit expenditure growth, adapting spending to the new fiscal framework, which imposes a spending ceiling on the public sector.
The analyzed text also gradually reduces the total number of workers entitled to the salary bonus. Currently, those who receive up to two minimum wages are entitled to the benefit. With the PEC, beneficiaries will be gradually reduced until they only reach workers who earn up to one and a half minimum wages.
