Aunt Sandra’s house was one of the best places in the world for Recife boy Thiago Santos. For a simple reason: she was the only one in the family with a steady job. The grandmother had ten children. But it was in Sandra’s house, in the city of Abreu e Lima, that had a “rare” space: the bathroom. The structure of the house and its knowledge made Thiago’s eyes shine, then a resident of the Frei Damião favela, in the same city as his aunt. Sandra had studied teaching and managed to work as a teacher. The boy’s dream then took on the shape of a house, but also a classroom.
The boy then thought that he wanted to be a teacher so that one day he could also have the right to this dignity. “Currently, I want to continue teaching so that everyone can have a bathroom in their homes and much more”, says Thiago, now 31 years old, who has a doctorate in education and professor at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE). He is a researcher in the laboratory in public policies, education and society at the institution, and trains new teachers.
As an expert on the subject, he regrets, however, that “many undergraduate students” and also professionals give up the profession because of the devaluation of the teaching career. Therefore, in this scenario, he understands that the More Teachers programannounced by the federal government last week, can save and revive the hopes of professionals – and also students. “I’ve seen a lot of people giving up on their careers,” he laments.
Currently, university professors hear from students about what makes their passion for the profession reborn or fragile. “I see the need for a constant conversation on this topic. Students must understand the value of the profession and fight for career advancement”, he argues.
Features
The government defended that the main points of the program are the selection for entry into teaching, the attractiveness for degrees, the allocation of teachers, the improvement of teacher training and the enhancement of the career. “Overall, my assessment is positive about the program,” said the researcher. He mentions that public policy can improve the partnership between the Ministry of Education (MEC) and universities and also strengthen the federative relationship in relation to education, from the municipality to the federal government.
Public policy actions include the creation of the National Teaching Test (PND), which will be held annually for the selection of teachers, and the Nest Egg Degrees (attractiveness and training scholarship for teaching), which will offer monthly financial assistance for students to remain on teacher training courses.
He considers the allocation of resources to students who performed well in the National High School Exam (scores above 650 average) as a success. “This will mean that people who achieved good averages in Enem will have the right to sign up for a subsidy from the federal government.” According to the program, students will be supported from the beginning until the end of completing their course. They will receive a scholarship R$1,050 per month (R$700 to withdraw each month and R$350 for savings).
Difficulties
On the other hand, the professor argues that there are immediate challenges to the effectiveness of the program. He understands that there is a scenario of devaluation of the teaching profession, blatant disregard for the minimum teaching salary and also a lack of job and career plans that are attractive to new teachers. The professor even regrets that municipalities prioritize parties with costly hiring of artists to the detriment of improving salaries for education workers.
“The teaching career in Brazil ends up not being attractive because there is no salary increase, and the position and career plan is not implemented or does not exist in many municipalities”, says the researcher. He adds that students already believe that being a teacher is not good because it causes fatigue and does not provide quality of life, as in other professions.
“It doesn’t solve itself”
From the same perspective, the president of the Union of Official Education Teachers of the State of São Paulo (Apeoesp), Fábio Moraes, understands that the government presented a necessary program to enhance teaching to avoid the possibility of a shortage of teachers. However, he understands that, on its own, Mais Professores will not solve all the problems. “Basic education teachers are linked to states and municipalities. May mayors and governors understand the federal government’s message that it is necessary to value the teaching profession.”
The board of directors of the National Confederation of Education Workers (CNTE) also highlighted, in a note, that it sees immediate challenges, such as the release of teachers to access continuing education and postgraduate courses. “Another challenge will be to guarantee the adherence of public entities to the MEC national test for the effective hiring of teachers”, points out the entity.
To implement the program, the confederation proposes adjustments, including making federal transfers conditional on states and municipalities adhering to these policies to value professionals. The entity stated that the fight for the enhancement of the minimum wage and teaching careers and for the implementation of the employee minimum wage is fundamental. Furthermore, it awaits the publication of the MEC ordinance, which, following current legislation, would raise the floor to R$4,867.77.
Disparities
The entity that represents workers regrets that, according to a survey by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), investment per capita in Brazilian basic education it is the third worst among developing countries that have better results in the International Student Assessment Program (Pisa). “In 2023, all public schools in Brazil invested around R$17.7 thousand per student per year, compared to R$158.2 thousand in Luxembourg, R$103.9 in Switzerland and R$99 thousand in Belgium.”
The consequence is, as the entity argues, that Brazil has been “for decades at the bottom of the OECD survey in relation to the salaries of teachers working at the basic level”. The CNTE adds that, currently, 54% of teachers in state networks work on precarious contracts, without stability or the guarantee of the teaching minimum.
Hope in the classroom
Pernambuco teacher Thiago Santos, who spent more than 20 years living in a favela, dreamed that, one day, he could make a difference in the classroom, including for communities like the one where he was born and raised. Today he feels joy and excitement about the training of new teachers. “I saw that, through this profession, we can do a lot for the country.” During his high school education, Thiago heard from colleagues who were surprised by the student’s choice to study a degree, as he was studious and intelligent.
“A person who came from extreme poverty, why would they choose this career?”, they asked the boy. Thiago remained firm and even influenced his mother (who died of Covid-19 in 2020), a domestic worker, to also return to school. “She felt the need to go back to school because there was a moment when she could no longer help us with our homework.”
In addition to his aunt, the teacher, the story of Thiago’s mother was an inspiration for the teacher. He remembers that she was the one who made the covers for the books and notebooks they received at school. In the midst of poverty, the mother never gave up on the boy continuing his studies. When looking at his own story, he understands well the transformation that a teacher and school can make in someone’s life.
